Only To Seattle
by CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88
Summary: Over a year has gone by since being rescued from the island and Jack is feeling anything but happy with life. While on a forced vacation from work Jack finds that happiness can be found in the most unexpected places. Cowritten By: Shiggity
1. Red Hair White Lies

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Even though this story is posted under my pen name, its actually not just written by me. Its co-written by **Shiggity**. If you're a Jater, then you definitely know who she is because she's written tons of awesome Jate fics. If on the off chance you don't know who she is and you haven't read any of her stories, I'm afraid that's a sin and I insist that you go do that now. As for me, this is my first shot at a Lost fic, so I'm really nervous about that and feedback would be appreciated. This first chapter is written by **Shiggity**, and I hope you enjoy! 

**Note From Shiggity:** Hey guys, I know what you're thinking, "Another story! Shiggity you beast! They're slipping out of you like you're a slip and slide!" Well I can assure you I'm definetly not, and this was a brainchild of not only your Shiggity, but the imfamous **Crazyhorsegirl88**. Two of Lost's fic most dasterdly minds working together on a project, is the community ready for it? I think so!

**Disclaimer:** Shiggity and I don't own Lost, we just want to. Sadly, Lost belongs to JJ and Co….

The thick, heavy stench of gasoline filled the air as the ivory colored Pathfinder pulled into the dusty terrain of the truck stop. The vehicle gleamed ethereally in the early morning's moon, as it pulled up beside one of the gas tanks. The door clicked open, and two sneaker clad shoes hit the ground causing two puffs of soil to explode from the ground and diffuse up into the night sky. Jack sighed as he brought one of his hands up to rub the kinks out of his neck muscles.

He had been driving for almost the whole day, highways, dirt roads, off roads, anything that would get him away from LA; he couldn't stand to be there any longer. He had been forcibly given a vacation from work; his attitude wasn't fitting in well apparently.

Coincidentally, he had rewarded himself earlier that week by buying himself a new car, which had everything he would ever need, but would never use. So that idea struck him to go on a small cross country trip, taking only a few items and clothes in a suitcase. He had a few weeks to spare and his destination was wherever the roads took him.

His life seemed so dismal now, so drudgery and repetitive. The exact opposite of how it had been on the island, he didn't like the dangers that inhabited the island, but at least he never knew what was going to happen when he woke up in the morning. That was a reason his life was so tedious, but not the main one. He knew the main reason was her. He hadn't seen her in almost a year, and his worst fears were starting to become a reality. He was starting to forget what she looked like; the feelings he experienced when she looked up at him with her gorgeous eyes; the way her dark hair blew in the wind, and how it contrasted with her fair skin that mimicked the color of the sand.

His eyes shot open and he realized slightly that he had fallen asleep for a few seconds while still pumping his gas guzzling SUV with fuel. He shook his head and pulled out the nozzle of the hose before it started to overflow. While wiping his hands on his faded jeans, he headed inside the station to pay for the gas and to buy a coffee.

Coffee was one thing he'd certainly missed on the island; he thought he'd never be able to give it up. He had a relationship with the substance equal to that of Sawyer and his cigarettes. But back in the 'real world' he took it for granted, not appreciating what it did for him. Now he felt that way about Kate.

He shuffled his way up to the coffee counter like a zombie in an old horror flick; they have a clear destination, but were in no hurry to get there. Once he was settled calmly before all the ingredients his mind ran a blank on what he was supposed to do with all of them. Slowly the information came trickling back into his brain, and he remembered that he took his coffee simply black.

He poured the steaming liquid into the largest plastic cup the store offered, and then struggled for a few moments to get the lid on. After hearing the welcoming snap, he sighed of relief and moved to the counter to pay. But something caught his eye. Not something, but someone.

He looked into the large rounded mirror in the corners of the store, which minimized all the aisles and their contents. There was one other person in the store other then himself and the clerk.

It was a skinny redhead, about twenty-three years of age. She wore a faded yellow tank top, and a pair of hip-hugging jeans that were held together by a large black belt, because they were obviously too big for her. A denim backpack that was somewhat opened hung limply over one of her shoulders and a pair of sunglasses sat snugly on the top of her crimson curls. The way they glimmered in the weak, manufactured light of the run down store made them look fake.

Her clover eyes scanned the room inconspicuously for a moment, before she reached out and shoved a handful of chocolate bars and various candies into her bag. Jack's eyes widened, he now knew why he thought her hair to be phony, because it was. She turned away and walked towards a Slushie machine in one of the corners. She took a small cup and began to fill it with a neon blue colored substance, then capped it quickly.

He walked down the aisle towards the machine, just observing her activities. She had now emptied out her pockets and was hurriedly trying to count her change to make sure she had enough to pay for her drink. It was her, it had to be her. She was a little thinner then he'd expect, but he'd seen her at worse. And she still held all her perfect curves.

He reached the ending of the aisle and quietly called out, "Kate?" She flinched but she didn't turn around, she had probably taken some other alias to keep others from finding her.

"Kate," he spoke to her again, louder. She placed her money on the counter lightly, "Look I don't know who you're talking to," she began, "but my name isn't Ka…" she stopped short of completing her sentence as she swung around.

It was her, even under the layers of makeup, the freckles that splotched her cheeks and her nose made it obvious. They were quite a good match for her hair and eyes, but now she looked more like Little Orphan Annie, then independent island Kate.

"Jack?" she whispered. A shaky hand traveled up to her agape mouth to block it. He smiled, a real smile, for the first time in months. It ventured all the way up to his face and even showed in his bloodshot eyes, "What are you doing here?" he questioned lowly.

"Can we, umm, talk outside?" she questioned, her eyes darting to the clerk.

"Sure," he obliged immediately. He should've been furious with her, or disappointed in her, or at least a little bit angry, but the only emotion he could feel at that moment was relief. Relief that he'd gotten to see her again, and that she wasn't some no named corpse in a random New York alleyway.

"I'll pay for your stuff," he offered as he reached for the drink in her hand.

"No, its okay," she assured. Of course she wouldn't let him pay for it, though she looked like some Vegas showgirl, she was still stubborn old Kate, "Besides I'm only getting the drink," she added nonchalantly. Not even breaking a sweat as she looked directly at him and lied through her teeth.

"And the stuff in your bag?" he questioned raising an eyebrow, he could've let it slide, knowing that she would rather break a law then let him help her out. It was that way ever since she came to him about the case, and he exploded. She made sure she was independent from him.

Her eyes darted over to the clerk, some teenager who was entertaining himself by reading a Cosmo and ogling the pictures. Much to busy to even notice that Jack and Kate had met, never mind that she had basically stolen a good piece of the candy shelf.

She looked to Jack who gave her a modest, but disappointed smile. "Okay," she sighed in defeat, "I'll put them back."

"You don't have to," he expressed, "Just let me pay for them."

She stealthy reached into her back and emptied all of the would-be stolen goodies. Then held up one chocolate bar, "I don't need all that stuff anyways," she commented as she handed Jack the candy bar, "It goes straight to my butt anyways."

It was meant to lighten the mood, but it made Jack worry about her even more, she didn't look sickly, but she certainly didn't look healthy. She watched him, concerned for a minute as he took the food and headed to the counter.

"Is this everything?" the kid questioned as he rang it through the cash register.

"And thirty bucks in gas," Jack added as he reached in his back pocket for his wallet, surprised to find it still there with Kate standing directly behind him. He paid for the items and he and Kate headed outside to rest on the old, cracked concrete sidewalk that barely lined the store anymore.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Jack nursing his coffee while Kate pushing around her Slushie, staring down into it like it was a different world.

"So red, huh?" he commented after a few minutes, she gazed up from her Mega Gulp cup with a questioning look on her face.

He reached forward and tenderly pulled a piece of her hair loose from behind her ears, and showed it to her. Her hair still felt silky in his hands, just as he remembered.

She let out a small giggle, "Yeah, it was the only color I hadn't done yet," she replied as she sloshed around her drink some more.

"By now I figured you'd be into purple and green," he stated as he placed his coffee on the walk beside him.

"The point is to not get noticed," She reminded, a devious look crossed her face quickly, "Why, don't you like it?" she questioned.

"It's not my favorite color of hair," he responded gently. She grinned, "Don't worry about it Jack," she assured him, "I hate it."

"The why keep it?" he posed, already knowing the answer, the authorities weren't looking for a redhead, they were looking for a brunette and in some places a blonde. Until the whole thing blew over, this was what she'd have to stick with.

"You know why," she replied forlornly as she glanced up at him momentarily. She looked miserable, her eyes dejected, all the makeup she wore masking only her natural beauty, not her true identity.

"I should go," she spoke as she got up, slinging the bag around her shoulder once again, then lifted her hair out from underneath it so it billowed down over her shoulders.

"Where are you headed to?" He questioned as he stood up, dusting his pants off lightly. Jack knew with dread that if he allowed her to walk away now, he might never get another chance to see her, let alone speak to her. He would take this chance for what it was worth.

"I'm going to Washington," she announced, "Well, Seattle to be more specific. I've always wanted to see the Space Needle."

"I'm going that way too," he declared. It was a lie really, he had no idea where he was going, but if it let him spend more time with Kate, then it couldn't hurt anyone. Little white lies never did.

"It's okay," she reassured, "I've got my own car, I'll be able to make it there myself." Why was she making this more difficult then it had to be? Why wouldn't she just trust him?

The only way he was going to get through to her was if he started being harsher. It might work, but it might push her away more. He sighed silently, he didn't really have a choice, "You can't afford a chocolate bar, but you can afford a car?" he questioned skeptically.

"Excuse me?" she asked with offense.

"I don't think you have a car," he stated simply as he finished his coffee and threw it in a garbage can nearby.

"Well I do," she replied angrily, crossing her arms.

"Really, then which one is it," he questioned with a sly smile.

"It's that one right there," she huffed as she pointed to a beat up, dark green Toyota Corolla on the other side of the parking lot.

"Really?" he queried doubtfully, "That one over there?" Jack didn't know why, but somewhere in his mind he was amused by all of this.

"Yes," she replied as she closed her eyes until they were two angry slits. This was a look that by now, he had to be familiar with.

"Then let me walk you to your car," he stated. She glared at him and he added, "Just to make sure you get to it safely."

"Fine," she mumbled as she grabbed her cup and began to head over to the car.

Before Jack and Kate were even half way across the parking lot, a man rushed out of the diner that neighbored the store. He unlocked the door of Kate's car and drove away quickly, before a large muscular man followed out of the diner shaking his fist.

"So that's your car huh?" Jack asked, stifling his laughter as he and Kate watched it drive down the vacant highway. He turned around and began walking back to his car as Kate quickly followed him like a lost puppy.

"So I hitchhike," she divulged, "There's nothing wrong with that."

"Except that there are some screwed-up people out there who would like nothing more then to take advantage of you," he enlightened as he pulled the key to his car out of his pocket. He pressed on of the buttons on his keychain and the vehicle's lights flashed on then off.

"Oh and like you're an angel," she argued as she watched him get into his SUV from the passenger's side.

"I'm a lot nicer then a lot of other creeps you'd meet along the way if you didn't go with me," he explained as he rolled down the windows of both sides.

"If I come with you, you'll be going out of your way to help a wanted fugitive," she whispered harshly. That's why she didn't want him helping her, not because she wouldn't accept the help, but because she didn't want Jack to get dragged in to the mess she'd created. He wouldn't be the first man she cared for to fall as a result of her own mistakes in life.

"I'd rather be caught aiding a fugitive, and knowing that she's safe then having a clean police record and hearing about her being found on the side of the highway," he stated with a shrug.

She groaned and looked away for a moment, back at the diner and the store, "Try and keep it low profile?" she asked as her eyes made their way back to him.

"As low as possible," he replied with a grin.

She sighed and gave him a small nod of agreement. He unlocked the door and she climbed up into her seat, "nice car," she stated as she threw her bag in the back seat.

"It's a SUV," he corrected as he turned on the engine.

Kate rolled her eyes and watched as Jack pulled out of his spot and onto the road, "Remember, you're only taking me to Seattle," she reminded.

"Yep," Jack agreed quickly, unable to suppress a small grin, "Only to Seattle."


	2. Second Chances

A/N: Hey everyone! As I mentioned before at the beginning of Shiggity's chapter, this is my first ever Lost story, so I'm kind of lost. This is my first chapter, so I guess that makes me even more lost. I'm really nervous about posting this, so any feedback you could give me would really be helpful. Constructive criticism is encouraged because how else will I know what to fix? I personally thought this chapter was overly cheesy, but I'm curious to see what all of you think. I hope you enjoy it! 

Disclaimer: I still don't own it anymore than I did in the last chapter...who knows, maybe by my next post, I'll own it. That would be nice...

The sun was fading slowly from the sky as Jack continued to drive into what felt to him like a vast expanse of nothing. His senses seemed to pleasantly blur as his mind traveled off into the beauty that surrounded him. He drove down a long curving paved road that didn't seem to lead to anywhere, but he didn't mind. In truth, he didn't want to be anywhere just now and he didn't want to reach anywhere anytime soon.

Looking to his left, Jack's eyes were met by the seemingly never ending range of wild grass. It was rare for him to ever see so much uninhabited space at one time having lived his entire life in the busy LA traffic. At the moment, Jack didn't even feel remotely inclined to return to his home. For the first time since his time spent on the island, Jack was free. He didn't have to worry about waking every morning and rushing to the hospital to do his tedious job and even worse, returning home to his empty, lonely apartment to spend his remaining time occupying himself with things that didn't even matter to him. It wasn't a life, he realized. There was something, a very large something, that was missing and until he had gone down with that fated flight from Sydney, Jack had never noticed what he lacked. He had never noticed that he was alone and that loneliness hurt.

He knew it now though. He had known it since he had learned to live on the island. He had known it since he met her. Stealing a glance to his right, Jack's eyes fell upon the single thing that had managed to steal all of his current unconscious thoughts. Jack had never known that there could ever be one single thing alone that could make him nearly wish that he had never been rescued from that hellish island. Sitting in the passenger seat beside him though, lightly dozing off as the sun set, was that one thing. Kate.

It seemed so long ago that they had been stuck together on an island with nearly fifty others struggling to survive. Even longer yet that he had felt the sense of completeness that only she could manage to give him. That special sense that maybe, just maybe things would work out in the end. She had been his driving force for so long on the island. She had held him together in more ways than she could count, though she had probably never realized the extent of her importance to him. At least not until the end, and that was when his feelings of bitter regret came in.

They had spent nearly two years on that God forsaken chunk of land in the middle of Atlantic Ocean and yet he realized now that it had all been for nothing. Not that he had had a choice in being there, far from it, but he had still wasted nearly every second of his time spent there. He should have recognized what would happen when and if a rescue was to ever come. He ought to have seen what he would lose when the inevitable happened.

But he hadn't. He had known that she was a criminal and that she was wanted back in the States. He had known that she was important enough for a U.S. Marshall to escort her out of the country she had fled to, but he hadn't seen for a moment what would happen to her if the rescue they all had hoped and prayed for ever did come. He didn't even see it at first on the day that it actually came. He had been blinded by joy at seeing that silver dot moving over the horizon and soon sweeping over the skies directly above the island. Not even when the helicopter had landed on the beach did Jack realize what he should have. No, it had taken him much longer than that and he regretted that so deeply now. In his mind, he played back those last moments in his mind and he knew what he hadn't known then and it ate away at his mind even now.

FLASH

Jack couldn't begin to explain the feeling of sheer excitement that was coursing wildly through his veins as he ran along the beach, eyes constantly trailing the shining silver helicopter that zoomed overhead. Adrenalin in its purest form drove Jack on as he raced up the beach, arms in the air waving to the pilot that he had yet to see operating the aircraft that flew above him. He could hear the shouts and whoops of his fellow castaways as they to reacted as he did to seeing the helicopter. Many raced along the beach not far behind him, excitement taking over their very being.

As soon as the helicopter made a move to turn around, Jack knew that they had succeeded. They had survived a plane crash, but more than that they had survived life on a deserted, monster inhabited island for nearly two years. Two years! By this time, he had been certain that he was going to die here, never to see civilization again.

It was then that Jack began to envision what exactly his life had consisted of before the plane crash. His life had been hectic, to say the least. It hadn't been something he loved or even something he was remotely fond of. He distinctly remembered before crashing that inescapable feeling, that need to escape from the life he was bound to.

As Jack began to slow from his current run to a stumbling walk and finally to a stop, the reality of what he had thought he missed and where he thought he belonged hit him like a ton of bricks. What had he been thinking? What was it exactly that he had been longing for these past months? It couldn't have been the busy ER that he stumbled into everyday, or the crowded and hectic LA life as a spinal surgeon. In that moment, Jack began to see just how much he loathed the life he had lived. He only wished he had seen it sooner. Then perhaps his island experience would have been different. It was much too late for that though.

With a jolt of sudden memory, Jack remembered the helicopter and that burst of excitement he had previously had returned. His previous worry about returning to his old life became nonexistent as he pushed it away to be replaced by the joy of finally being rescued. Feeling that sense of ecstasy and exhilaration once more, Jack felt a sudden longing to share this moment with someone. For the past months spent on the island, Jack had made a connection that he could compare to nothing else he had ever experienced with Kate. Unexplainable feelings had formed within his heart since the fateful day of the crash, and had only deepened as he grew to know her. He had only dared to admit these feelings to himself very recently though, for fear of things being unable to work out. Now though, she was his hope for a new future back at home. He hoped that she would feel that way too.

Turning around to face once again towards the beach camp, Jack frantically scanned the crowd for that familiar face that he had grown to know these past months. Though he could hardly call what he had with Kate a romantic relationship, they did have something between them. It was hard for him to say exactly what it was, but so far it had been the most emotionally satisfying thing he had ever felt. It had been even better than what his previous relationship with his now ex-wife Sarah had been and in the beginning, he had been more than certain that he loved her. Jack and Kate had done nothing more than share a few fleeting kisses in the jungle, ones that even they were uneasy to own up to, but there was a certain feeling in the air when they were together. It was different. As Locke might say, if Jack were less of a man of science and more of a man of faith, it might even feel like destiny. But Jack was too practical for that, and he would deny any such feelings to the end.

"Kate!" Jack called out as he spotted her. He immediately picked up his pace, moving from a light jog into an exhilarated run, racing to meet her. He didn't understand this sudden burst of energy and excitement, but he could feel it all around him and it only drove him to move faster. After what seemed to be far too long, Jack finally reached her, his lips twisted into one of his rare grins. His eyes danced excitedly as he spoke to her, "Kate, did you see it!"

Even as he was ecstatic, standing before her with the widest grin on his face and the most jovial expression radiating in his eyes, he could not help but notice that she lacked his same excitement. In fact, her face bore emotions of the exact opposite. She met his eyes, and in hers he could see a look of utmost pain; of regret. He didn't understand. They were being rescued! After nearly two years of struggling to survive and defeat what he had thought was their fate to die here, they were finally going to be rescued.

Lips tight and teeth clenched in obvious misery, Kate nodded, tearing her eyes briefly away from his to stare down at the sand at her feet. Quickly jerking her head back up to look at him, Jack couldn't miss that Kate forced her lips to tug into a small forced smile for him. "Jack..." Kate said, voice cracking in a harsh whisper.

Jack reached out his arms through the small space that separated them and gripped his hands gently on her shoulders. He let his eyes dig deep within her own, hoping to bring some sort of understanding to his mind.

He didn't get it. Why wasn't she as excited as he and everyone else had been at seeing the helicopter? Kate had spent countless hours watching over the rescue fire, always making sure that it was glowing as brightly as she possibly could in the chill tropic night. She had dedicated herself to joining an untold amount of hikes, all of which were extremely life threatening, just to try to get some sort of signal that could lead a rescue party to them. The thing that stuck out the most in Jack's mind though, was that throughout the entire time that Kate had spent on the island, she had spent only three nights at the caves. Because of the hope for rescue that she had claimed to have on many occasions and to him personally, she had refused to move to the caves with him. It hadn't mattered how many times he had pleaded with her that it was safer and easier. It hadn't even mattered after they had shared that first fleeting kiss in the jungle that had followed with him begging her to move with him to the caves. Kate had remained firm the entire time, leaving Jack to wonder why she did not appear slightly happy at seeing a rescue come after all this time.

"What is it?" Jack asked, eyes still piercing into her own, drawing for an explanation.

"It's nothing..." Kate tried as she always did to brush him off, to make him think that there was nothing wrong, but as always, he didn't buy into a word of it.

"No, Kate, I can see it," Jack pushed on, the excitement he had felt mere moments ago now completely gone, "What's wrong?" A smile spread across Jack's face, almost as though it were some final attempt to make her recognize that in this moment, she at least should be happy. She should be overjoyed that this ordeal was now over with and they could move on with their lives. But she wasn't. That much was clear.

In a sudden rush of passion, Jack drew her roughly to him, his hand moving behind her head to push her into a deep kiss. His lips crushed her own on contact, and though he had expected to receive a passionate response from her, he received only a sad, almost desperate need. She kissed him back with longing and sadness, drawing into him with all that she had. Breaking the kiss in confusion, Jack couldn't take the mystery any longer. "Come on, Kate, it's finally over! We can live again. Try to enjoy." Jack pushed once more. When she finally did respond, everything became utterly clear to him and he suddenly wished that he had never wondered what was on her mind.

"Jack, you of all people should know why I never wanted to see this day!" Kate snapped, jerking out of his hold completely and taking a step back. Though he doubted it was intended, she looked at him with an icy stare, glaring daggers. Her explanation hit him like a ton of bricks. In that very instant, all of the hopes that he had had were suddenly shattered with a sickening thud. Kate couldn't come back with him. She would be lucky if she could come back to anything at all. Against his will, Jack felt his heart twisting tightly within his chest, as if mocking him for his false hopes.

"Oh, God Kate..." was all Jack could seem to say, his face falling to mimic her own look of misery. His voice shook as he spoke, and gazing upon her he stepped towards her, drawing her back into his arms in an attempt to comfort her. He should have known. He should have been thinking about all of this. How could he let himself forget? Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard a voice that much to his dismay sounded eerily like his father telling him that he had tried too hard to ignore the simple truth and that that was why it was hurting that much more in the end. His father had always been a practical man; all business, even with his own wife and son. Now Jack understood.

Both Kate and Jack stood silently, his arms wrapped firmly around her waste, pinning her comfortingly against his frame. This was the closest they had ever been, but this wasn't how Jack had wanted it to be. He had never thought that a moment like this would come, but how could he have ever let the truth of everything slip his mind so easily?

In the back of his mind, Jack could hear the frantic yells of excitement from the rest of the survivors. He knew from their enthusiasm that the helicopter had landed by now, and he didn't even have to turn away from Kate to see out of the corner of his eye that there were already three men stepping out of the aircraft.

Just as Jack was about to return his full attention to the woman in his arms, Charlie came bounding over to where they stood, his voice practically shaking with excitement. "Jack! Hey Jack!" Jack heard Charlie yell as he raced across the sandy beach to meet them. Though he knew without saying how odd he and Kate must look, Jack made no move to let her go. Instead, he just shifted her in his grip so that he could turn to face his approaching friend. Kate didn't seem to mind as he had assumed she would. For once, she seemed to welcome his closeness, even appreciate it.

When Charlie reached them, he panted heavily, out of breath, "Jack, they're looking for Kate," Charlie voiced, accent thick as ever, "They wanted me to find her." The confusion was obvious in the younger man's eyes and in his voice as he spoke, but his words made Jack's heart momentarily come to a stop. Knowing something was going to happening and then witnessing it as it came were two completely different things, he was learning. In this moment he wished that he had managed to inherit some of his father's naturally calm resolve.

"Go back to the caves, Kate," Jack said tiredly, trying to analyze the situation. He knew without looking that Charlie was staring wide-eyed with confusion at him, mouth hanging open.

"No, Jack. Its okay. I have to face this," Kate said calmly, though one look into her greenish gray orbs told him an entirely different story. She was terrified, Jack knew.

"Kate, you can't-" Jack began, but was immediately cut off by a sudden shift in emotion from Kate as she roughly jerked out of his hold, eyes staring back with cold fright.

"Don't tell me what I can't do, Jack," Kate said, her voice trembling as she spoke. Her calm masquerade was slowly fading and the truth of what she was really feeling just now was beginning to show.

"Wait, Kate. Jack, what the bloody hell is going on? What's she talking about?" Charlie questioned feebly, his eyes twinkling with obvious confusion. Jack didn't have the time or the desire to fill the other man in, and instead ignored the question.

Jack turned back to Kate just in time to see her walking quickly away from him. To his dread, she was walking directly to where the helicopter had landed and the several men that had been onboard were now out on the beach conversing with the rest of the survivors, obviously still looking for Kate. He couldn't understand what could be possessing her to so readily run to meet her fate. She could still escape, there had to be a way. But deep down, Jack knew that there wasn't. He knew that he was just fooling himself as he had become so professional at doing over the years. He just couldn't let go.

Seeing no other alternative, Jack raced blindly after Kate, catching up to her in a few quick strides. Before he could utter a single word to try and change her mind, he saw that he was too late. One of the newcomers on the beach had already spotted her from behind his dark sunglasses. Jack watched as the man in the suit reached to a walkie-talkie inside his suit jacket, speaking a few words into it before signaling to his partner to follow him as he walked over to where Kate stood.

Jack nearly ran into Kate's back as she stopped suddenly in her tracks as if just now realizing what exactly she had been walking into. He could see her entire body tense up immediately, and he felt the sudden need to protect her, though he saw no visible way that he could do that. He quickly stepped in front of her, reaching back to wrap a comforting arm around her shoulders, drawing her to his side. Jack realized then that she was shaking like a life, trembling violently within his hold. That realization cut Jack like a knife, having never seen her so visible terrified before. He didn't like what he was seeing. He was so used to seeing her being strong despite everything that went on around her. Jack supposed this was just the one thing she couldn't face without fear. She was only human, after all.

"Kate Austin," It was not a question. The first man Jack had seen stepped forward towards Kate, arm outstretched with his badge in hand. Jack swallowed hard, knowing that this man was another US Marshall, not unlike the one that had died soon after the crash. "You're under arrest for the murder of Tom Brennon," If Jack wasn't mistaken, he thought he could trace a sense of amusement in the Marshall's voice, and that made his body burn in anger. This wasn't a laughing matter. "Everything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law." Yup, the Marshall was definitely wildly entertained by this whole affair. The vicious smirk on his face said it all. Jack couldn't believe what he was seeing. He hadn't expected it to be like this. He hadn't known it would be so cruel. "Would you prefer that I read you the rest of your rights now, or would you rather I wait and not embarrass you in front of your new friend?"

Kate was stony and silent, refusing to utter a single word. Jack was at a loss. He had no idea what he should do. All he could manage just now was to keep his death grip on Kate as he looked on at the two Marshals in disgust. "What, you aren't shy, are you?" the Marshal probed, obviously seeking to push Kate's buttons. Jack knew that the two men could sense her fear as well as he could, but unlike him, they were thoroughly enjoying it. Jack had no doubt that much like the Marshal that had died, these two men had waited a very long time to finally catch Kate and now they were savoring the moment. "You weren't a shy girl when you killed your sweetheart, were you?"

Jack's blood was beginning to boil. These men, authorities or not, had no right to treat her like this. She was a criminal, but she had changed. He knew she had. He couldn't stand to see her treated this way. It was too cruel, but there was little he could do about it.

Without warning, Kate jerked her way out of Jack's protective hold, no longer able to take what was before her. She could no longer bear to face what she had rightfully earned, and just as she always had, she was going to run. She always ran. But as much as he wanted to, Jack couldn't let her run now. "Kate!" he shouted, suddenly afraid for her safety. Turning to the two Marshals, horror like Jack had never felt began to wash over him, chilling him faster than a cold shower. Both men had their guns drawn and were ready to break off across the beach after Kate, who had already come close to disappearing into the stretch of jungle at the end of the beach where she and Jack had previously been standing. Looking to the Marshals, Jack knew she would never get out of the open space in time before they fired.

Suddenly realizing their intent, Jack screamed with all that he had to stop them, "No!" he yelled, forcefully pushing his way into their line of fire, causing them to keep from shooting. Their window of opportunity now gone as Kate successfully disappeared into the thick mass of trees, the two Marshals were less than pleased.

"Get out of the way!" the nearest Marshal growled angrily, glaring menacingly at Jack. He forcefully tried to push Jack out of his path as he went to follow after his fugitive, but Jack refused to budge, hoping that he could not only buy Kate some time, but also allow himself a chance to convince these Marshals to let him handle the situation. He couldn't allow them to harm her. "I said, move!"

When Jack once again refused to step out of the Marshal's way, the man roughly beat Jack across his shoulder and chest with the butt of his pistol, then turning to kick Jack in the ribs as he began to sink into the sand. Jack was falling to his knees in pain immediately after the force hit him, the air knocked out of him. He felt as though he could scarcely breathe and his head was swimming with pain and confusion. These men meant business.

Dizzy from the pain of the blows that had just been dealt him, Jack attempted to rise from the sand. He quickly forced himself to his feet, despite the dizzying affects of his swirling head. He had to stay conscious. He couldn't give in to the sudden exhaustion that the pain was bringing to him. "Wait!" he called out frantically to the two Marshals that had already began tearing off after Kate. Reluctantly, they stopped and turned to face him. They were not amused by his new interruption. Fearing that they would once again attack him if they came near, Jack called out to them, "Let me find her," he pleaded, pulling himself to his feet shakily as he clutched onto his aching ribs. He wouldn't be surprised if he had broken several of them after that blow. "Please..." he voiced desperately, but calmly, "don't hurt her."

He could feel the worried and frightened glances of his fellow survivors. It was obvious that none of them understood what was going on, and why should they? He had kept Kate's secret well. He began walking slowly towards them, only a single step at a time. They both raised their guns hesitantly, smirking with amusement after hearing his pleas. "Who do you think you are?" the nearest one asked, voice full of sick satisfaction. Jack found himself being more and more disgusted as this encounter progressed.

"My name is Dr. Jack Shepard," Jack stated as boldly as he could muster at the time, still clinging tightly to his wounded ribs, "When that plane went down nearly two years ago, I died just like every other person you see here. We got a chance to start over and it was a chance we all deserved. Even Kate. She saved my life on this island and more than that she's become one of my dearest friends. I don't care who she was or what she did before the crash, but I'm not going to let you harm her now. I owe that to her."

The grin on the first man's face only seemed to grow wider, making Jack's insides churn in disgust. These men truly defined the meaning of the word heartless. He wondered how they had come to be allowed to stand for justice. "And why should we do that, Dr. Shepard? We've waited too long to let Ms. Austin evade us now. She's a dangerous criminal. She has obviously manipulated you into thinking otherwise. You won't stand in our way. If you try, well, there's no telling what we might have to do to ensure her arrest."

All eyes were on Jack now, wondering if he would continue to press his luck. He had gone too far already and he knew it, but for Kate's sake, he wasn't going to back down now. "I know the terrain better than you. You don't know what's out there. You can't imagine what it can do and I promise you that you don't want to find out. I swear that if you let me go after her, I'll bring her to you. Just give me that," Jack said, once again pleading with them to hear him out. He knew that if they didn't agree to this, then he would once again have to risk getting shot because there was no way he was going to allow them to go into the jungle after her only to shoot her down in their lust for glory. She deserved better than that. "You have my word."

For a long moment, what felt like the longest moment of Jack's life, he and the Marshal locked eyes. The man stared him down boldly, as if trying to decide if Jack's word was worth anything. Jack knew that both men had never wanted to go trekking through the jungle, most likely fearing what it might contain and he hoped to use that to his favor. The two men turned to one another and began talking in whispers, obviously considering what they should do. Within a few moments, Jack found them walking briskly across the sand towards him.

Once they had reached them, the nearest one, the one that had struck him, stepped forward, looking Jack up and down in obvious disgust. "Alright, Dr. Shepard. I'm feeling generous," he growled menacingly, making certain that only Jack could hear what he was saying and not the large crowd that gathered around them. "But frankly Dr. Shepard, we don't trust you as far as we can throw you. We're going to come with you and make sure that you hold up your end of the deal; no questions asked. We don't want you running out on us. Lead the way."

"And Dr. Shepard?" the once silent Marshall finally spoke up to Jack, stepping up next to his partner. Jack lifted his head and gave the man his full attention. "I'll wager you're a smart man. A man such as yourself should know what aiding and abending a criminal means, am I right?"

Staring the man down, Jack flashed him the coldest look he possibly could, not breaking eye contact before nodding, "Yes, I do."

"Then you know what it would cost you," the man prodded further, obviously enjoying what he was doing to Jack.

"I do," Jack still did not break his gaze from the Marshall. He didn't want to give the man the pleasure of thinking he had won.

"Very good," the man flashed Jack a mocking grin, turning briefly to look at his partner before turning back to Jack, "I just want to be clear that if you give me even a hair of a reason to believe that you are helping Miss Austin to evade us, you will be very sorry. You would do best to remember that."

Jack only nodded in response, knowing that even if he wanted to, there was nothing he could do to help Kate escape capture now.

Feeling his heart pound with adrenalin at being granted very nearly what he had wanted, Jack moved quickly past the two Marshals, leaving it entirely up to them if they were going to be able to follow. Worry clouded his mind as he stepped off of the sandy terrain of the beach, and into the humid climate of the jungle he had come to know so well. He had guessed from the very moment that Kate had broken away from him and into the jungle where she was going. He knew that she had fled to the caves, the home she had never learned to accept.

(About and hour and a half later...)

Jack approached the caves with a heavy heart, knowing that he would have to bring Kate out to the men that waited a short distance away. They had agreed that things would be more likely to run smoothly if Jack went into the caves alone to seek her out while they waited for him just outside. In his heart, Jack knew that Kate was here. It was as if he could feel her presence.

Before long, his assumptions were proven to be right when he heard the faint sound of someone fighting back tears and losing not far from where he stood. "Kate?" Jack called out, voice as gentle and smooth as he could make it. In these last moments that they would be together, he wanted desperately to comfort her because he knew that this could very well be his last chance to do so for a very long time. He feared that very thing.

"J-Jack?" came the ragged reply, questioning if her ears had deceived her. He could feel hope in her tone, and even caring. He felt a small surge of happiness that he had caused that tone to arise, but that happiness was short lived. The reality of what he was here to do soon came back to him.

"Yeah, I'm here," he replied, stepping out of the shadows and into the light where she could see him. He saw that she had been sitting on a large slab of rock, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Oh, Jack..." Kate cried out desperately, more desperate than he had ever seen her as she rose to her feet and quickly lurched over to where he stood waiting for her. She roughly threw herself into his waiting arms. This was the first time she had ever willingly come to him like this, but Jack couldn't let himself find any joy in it. He hadn't imagined it would be like this. Looking deeply into his eyes, locking his dark hazel eyes with her own greenish gray orbs, Kate spoke to him in a hushed, ragged voice, "I'm scared, Jack." It was an admission that Jack had never wanted to hear coming from her. He had never imagined that he ever would.

She trembled violently within the circle of his arms, and her shaking only seemed to increase as he gently reached forward and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb. "It'll be okay, Kate. I won't let them hurt you," Jack assured to her, lightly caressing the side of her face with his thumb and forefinger. Even as he made her this promise though, he had known that he had no way of guaranteeing it as he felt the ache in his ribs from the Marshal's previous show of violence to him. She need never know about that though.

To his great and pleasant surprise, Kate leaned forward quickly then and captured his lips with her own. She brought him into a passionate, urgent kiss as if attempting to draw him as closely to her as she could. There was a sense of impelling need in the way that she kissed him then, pulling away only when she had to draw in a ragged breath of air. This canâ€˜t last, Jack thought to himself, eyes clamped tightly shut as he drew her closer still and kissed her back, I should end it now. His hands slid apart, one staying on the small of her back, rubbing small, comforting circles on her back and the other moving to her hair, entangling itself there as he pushed her face closer to his own.

They had kissed several times in the past two years, none of those times lacking in passion, but this was their best by far. It was different. There was an unmatchable need in the way that they held and kissed each other now and as long as they lived, neither would ever forget the way it had felt. How it hadn't satisfied them, but only intensified their need.

Finally pulling away, Jack kissed a line down from her face to her neck, his lips lightly nibbling on her skin. He was engulfed in the passion and the need of the moment, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not forget the presence of the two Marshals that stood just outside, waiting to steal Kate from his life, possibly forever. He brought himself back to her lips once more, easing his lips over her own and once again diving into the passion that seemed to be radiating from them both.

The two finally broke apart, though this time they did not return. Kate lowered her head to look down at their feet, her forehead pressed against his muscled chest and her arms still wrapped tightly around his waist. She was breathing long, ragged breaths as she sat that way, listening to the pounding beat of his heart.

"Kate, we have to go now..." Jack urged, never wanting to have to tell her that. Her head snapped up suddenly and when she met his eyes, he knew right away that she understood. Without saying a word, she knew that he had led the Marshals to her, but much to his surprise and her own, she did not hold it against him. He had done what he had to prevent them from shooting her and for that she was grateful.

Without saying a word, Jack loosened his grip on Kate and linked her arm through his own, leading her out to meet the anxiously awaiting Marshals. This time, the one nearest to Jack already had his handcuffs drawn from inside his suit jacket. As soon as Jack appeared from the mouth of the cave with Kate at his side, the Marshal stepped forward triumphantly and reached out, roughly gripping Kate's arm and tugging her out of Jack's hold. Jack immediately made a move to protest the man's brutality, but Kate met his eyes and gave him a look as if to say that he should stay out of it. Jack watched as the two men roughly jerked Kate's arms behind her back and locked the cuffs securely onto her wrists. They four of them then made their way back to the beach, two of them in a deep state of misery and the other two feeling completely satisfied.

Back on the beach, Jack found that all of the survivors were anxiously awaiting their appearance, a worried look plastered on each of their faces. Jack nodded, letting his eyes scan over each of them as soon as he stepped out into the clear, noting that they all looked extremely confused, perhaps more so than they had before at seeing Kate being escorted to the waiting helicopter in handcuffs. In fact, the only one who seemed to be unsurprised by any of this was the ragged, smart mouthed southerner that Jack had grown to greatly dislike these past months spent on the island. Sawyer had a look plastered on his face that almost said 'I told you so'.

Jack followed the two Marshals as they led Kate up to the waiting helicopter. Just before they were about to boost her inside and take her away, Jack stepped in front of them, once again blocking their path. Jack could sense their anger at his actions, but he didn't care. He would get his last good-byes to her if it was the last thing he did. No one could take that from him now. He stepped forward towards Kate boldly, not daring to look at the two Marshals that stood on either side of her. Jack immediately cut off the small distance between them, roughly kissing her one last time. He poured all that he had into that kiss, bringing up an arm to sling around her shoulders and entangle in her mass of deep brown curls. As the kiss went on in the brief moment that it was allowed to last, Jack could feel a storm of tears running down her cheeks. She kissed him back sadly and desperately, as if begging for him not to forget her and urging him that this wouldn't be the last time. Deep in his heart, he knew that it was. He dreaded that it was.

They were roughly pulled apart as one of the Marshals jerked on Kate's arm, pulling her out of Jack's hold. Before Jack could say or do anything else, Kate was being lifted up into the helicopter and taken out of his life forever. "Good-bye, Jack!" Kate called down to him just as she disappeared miserably into the confines of the helicopter. That would be the last thing that Jack would hear from her in well over a year.

A/N: Well, I hope you guys liked it! Yes, I know, overly cheesy. Hopefully I'll be more intune with things when I try my next post. After finishing this story with Shiggity, I do have plans for other Lost stories, all of which are J/K, so we'll see how that goes. Please review because I really need your feedback!


	3. Roadside Innuendo

A/N: (This is Shiggity by the way...) Hey guys, first off no getting mad at Crazyhorsegirl for not updating, it's my fault, I've been so busy with the sickness and whatnot that I haven't been able to write a new chapter for ze brainchild as I call it (I'm feeling rather German (feel free to call it ze brainchild) anyways I hope you enjoy it and I'll try to progress faster on the next chapter.

Detour (What De band goes on)

Chapter 3

Roadside Innuendo

The sun was now part way through rising, light pouring over the horizon igniting the fields that passed in a blur as the SUV dashed down the smoothly paved highway. Music slowly fluttered out of the radio, some song from the fifties about lost love, Jack really wasn't paying attention.

It took all his reserved strength just to keep his hands on the wheel and his foot on the gas. The large leather seat had become uncomfortable two hours back, but now it was just plain painful. His eyelids were more then heavy, begging him to just catch a moments rest, but he wouldn't stop.

For a moment he took his eyes off the road, and glanced to the seat next to his. Kate lay sleeping, her head laying on her crossed arms that lean against the door, her dyed hair gleaming in the daylight. She looked so peaceful when she slept, the thought of having to be constantly on the run not playing through her mind at all. She appeared to be so innocent and genuinely happy.

A small smile spread across Jack's face as he turned to watch the road again. It was slowly hypnotizing him, the white line moving straight ahead sometimes twisting, it seemed like all he could do was follow it when it curved left or right and slowly his eyes fell shut.

He leaned his arms over the wheel as the car cruised along at wild speeds down the paved roads. A curve lay just ahead in the road, but Jack didn't notice it, he simply fell further and further into sleep.

The tires sunk into a pothole jerking the whole vehicle as it popped back out. Kate's head hit the window slightly, jolting her out of slumber with a small pang of pain. She winced and lightly placed her hand on the small bump that was forming on her head, "You think you could take those corners a little more gently?" she grumbled sarcastically.

She waited for some joking response, but when none came she turned her head to stare at the driver, "Jack?" she asked. They were now speeding towards the curve in the road, "Jack!" she yelled as she reached forward and shook his shoulder frantically.

"Huh?" he muttered as he lifted his chin off the steering wheel.

"Stop the car!" she shouted as she pointed ahead, Jack was driving the SUV in a straight line towards the guardrail, on the otherside awaited a deep, rocky ditch.

His foot came crashing down on the break as the vehicle swerved and skidded out of control, leaving dark black tire marks stained on the road. The SUV finally came to a stop only a few feet from the rail. Jolting them forward, but other then a small pinch from the seatbelt, neither of them was injured.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked as he shook his head groggily, his mind trying to make sense of all that'd happened.

"Yeah," Kate muttered, her voice strained as she struggled to break free of the seatbelt, "I think my seatbelt's stuck," she commented as she weakly wriggled around within its hold, "It's stuck," she repeated with a bit of terror in her voice. 

"Hang on," Jack stated as he undid his seat belt. He rolled his neck as he exited the vehicle and stretched his arms as he walked around to Kate's side. The door opened with a click, and the helpful dinging of the system told Jack that the keys were still in the ignition.

He leaned over Kate, his face only inches away from hers. He could feel her chest tighten as her breath hitched from his sudden closeness. She'd never been one to openly appreciate being physically close to someone, though she seemed to feel that way on the island, at least with Jack. But being pushed back into civilization so bluntly after being quickly forced out of it did a number on her trust.

His hands slide under the seatbelt that was clamped tightly around her waist as he gently unhooked it from the side of the chair. He could feel her becoming antsy, the fact of being confined anywhere, even in a car making her nervous.

"Jack," she called for him, her voice sounding like a plea.

"It's okay," he told her. As he finished her sentence there was a refreshing click, and the seatbelt became loose around her.

She let out a large sigh of relief as Jack moved back out of the car, "Thank you," she said gratefully, slightly embarrassed at how quickly she had lost her cool, "For a minute there I lost…"

"Your head," Jack stated suddenly.

"Yeah, I suppose," she agreed.

"No you're head," he repeated as he pointed to the small bruise on her forehead, "What happened to it?"

"You hit a pothole and I hit the window," she replied calmly as she got out of the car, "What time is it anyways?"

"Almost six," Jack answered as he moved to the front of his car and leaned against the hood.

"And you haven't stopped driving yet?" Kate questioned, as she moved beside him, her eyes scanning the tree line and over the guardrail, "Where are we anyways?"

"On our way to Seattle," Jack responded sarcastically.

"Well we should stop to sleep or something," she suggested, "I could sleep in the car and you could get a hotel room," she offered, "I don't mind."

"It's a SUV, and you're not sleeping in the back of it," he stated stubbornly, "The next time I see a hotel I'll pull in and we can both get rooms."

"I don't have enough for a room," she informed honestly, lowering her head to stare at her beaten and dirtied sneakers.

"I'll pay for it, it's no big deal," he disclosed, "It's just a matter of finding a hotel close to here," he covered a yawn as the sun began to shine through the patches in the trees, "I don't know how much longer I can last."

"I could drive," Kate suggested.

"Yeah, that'll happen," he answered with a sarcastic chuckle.

"Hey, I'm a good driver," she replied placing her hands on her hips and turning to him, her eyebrows knit in irritation.

"Sure, from the time you get in the car to the three seconds it takes you to smash it into a wall. Besides you don't even have a license," he reminded.

"How would you know that?" she posed angrily.

"You're Kate, of course you don't have a license, it was probably revoked," he declared with a chuckle at her misfortune.

"You're so arrogant," she announced as she leaned back against the hood along with Jack.

"Am I right?" he inquired as he turned and arched an eyebrow her way.

"Driving without a license would be very low on the list of laws I've broken," she informed as he laughed.

"Which is probably why you had a fleet of brutal Marshals chasing you around the island," he informed with a slight yawn.

"They weren't that bad," she replied, "I've dealt with worse. The Marshal that died on the island was pretty bad though."

He wanted to ask her how the hell she managed to escape from two armed Marshals who would've shot her just to make sure that she got transported back to the States. But he knew the bond they had slowly formed together on the island, had long since disintegrated over their year apart, thought there was still obvious feelings between them.

"They all seemed equally bad to me," he stated casually as he turned his head upwards, closing his eyes and taking in the sun.

"What did they do to you?" she asked suddenly, standing up straight. He sent a sideways glance at her, "What? The Marshals? Nothing," he answered almost too quickly. Closing his eyes he'd hoped it would drop the subject, but he could still feel her glaring him down.

"Don't lie Jack," she told him candidly, "It doesn't suit you well."

"Look who's talking," he muttered a little too loudly.

Kate gave a frown and a swift nod of her head, "I knew this wouldn't work," she told him as she moved to the car, opening the door, she grabbed her bag from the backseat and slung it over her shoulder like she had too many times before.

"Kate?" he asked as he glanced over to her nervously, "Where are you going."

"I can't stay with you Jack, there's just to many unanswered questions that have driven stakes between us. It's not going to work," she explained truthfully.

He had no idea what she meant by 'it's not going to work', but he wasn't about to let her leave that easily when he'd just found her, "They pistol whipped me, okay?" he asked as he pulled away from the hood of the vehicle, "I tried to protect you and they went off at me for that."

Looking at him for a moment, she seemed to be trying to understand if what he said was true, "Oh Jack," she replied shaking her head, "I wasn't worth it, I'm still not."

"You were always worth it to me," he stated honestly and watched as she hid her tears, "You can't leave Kate, not now, not like this. Just let me drive you to Seattle. We'll call it even."

She gazed at her bag, then back to Jack and nodded her head, "Okay Jack," she agreed, her voice hoarse, "Okay."

"Are you kids lost?"

"Lost?" Jack questioned as he rubbed his eyes to clear the clouds he saw, misting his vision. He was more tired then he'd realized.

"Kids?" Kate questioned skeptically, arching an eyebrow in the direction of the sputtering pick up truck.

The elder man in the cabin laughed, his whole pudgy body jiggling with delight as his round cheeks moved up with his smile, almost consuming his eyes. "Didn't mean to startle ya, I just saw ya sitting against that car of yours and figured maybe you were having trouble with it, or were lost," his voice held pure happiness, like the worries of the world couldn't tarnish his spirit.

"We were actually looking for a hotel," Jack stated as he pushed himself away from the hood of the car, which had heated up in the early morning sun.

He chuckled again, his whole body vibrating in the driver's seat, "Judging by your car, there ain't many hotels around here that you'd like," he began. Jack's mouth fell to a frown, not knowing how to take the comment, "But there's a piece of crap motel up the road, turn a left and keep going, you'll find it if you're not blind. If that's off you're route there's another dung heap another few miles down if you don't mind driving a bit more."

Jack let a small, thankful smile slid onto his face, "Okay, thank you very much," Jack replied.

"Not a problem," the man replied, "you kids be safe now, on and off the roads." With that final statement, his pickup sputtered down the road.

Jack and Kate watched as the tiny dot of a vehicle disappeared until it couldn't be seen over the horizon, "Well seeing him makes me glad I hitch hiked with you," Kate commented as she moved back into the car and waited for Jack to do the same.

"First off, you're not hitch hiking with me, I'm a friend who's giving you a lift somewhere," he began as he started the car once again, "And what was wrong with that guy? He seemed genuinely happy..."

"Yeah genuinely happy, he probably travels around looking for people who have stalled cars so he can give them a lift and then hack them up into dog food in his basement," Kate stated as she crossed her arms defensively.

"Well they're you're crowd of people," Jack responded with a small mutter as he turned left down an old dirt road.

"No, my crowd of people are the ones who've openly done something bad, so you don't have to spend time worrying about what kind of sadistic twisted stuff they've actually done," Kate declared, "Though you seem to be an exception."

Jack chuckled, "I've got a few skeletons in my closet, though none may be as large as the upturned graveyard you have in your basement." He sent her a smirk, and she sent a small smile back.

The stranger's words had been true, and after a few moments of driving, a rusty, dilapidated motel was visible. The billboard out front that advertised the name had long since been destroyed. Jack suspected it was either vandals, or the weather, but then again this motel looked like it had been standing in the same spot since the beginning of time.

"So is this the pile of crap or the dung heap?" Kate asked as she got out of the car and examined the building, "At least they have screen on the windows."

"I take it you've slept in worse places?" Jack questioned as he walked alongside her, drawing his feet through the dirt as they made their way to the front doors. 

"Well there was that time I had to sleep on a deserted island," she reminded with a coy grin as she opened the glass door. It was stained with various different substances that she didn't even want to think of.

The concentrated, overpowering stench of cigars hit both of them like a ton of bricks as they stepped inside the dimly lit room. The dull humming of the fluorescent ceiling lights entertained the stuffy, muggy room.

"Can I help you kids?" A man behind the desk asked. He was equally as large as the stranger who gave them directions, if not larger. His pudgy fingers snuffed out the glowing up of his cigarette as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief. Kate's hand jerked at the comment, she hadn't been called a kid since the Marshal had attempted to escort her back to America, and every time she heard it, it brought up bad memories.

"We'd like two rooms," Jack declared, readying his wallet to pay the charges.

"We only got one left," The man explained with an almost toothless grin and a quirky, smoke-filled chuckle.

"But there's no other cars in the parking lot," Kate announced, her temper growing thin with this man.

"I only got five rooms Honey. One is mine, two are being rented by people who left to go to a wedding and come back, and the last one has a hole in the roof. If your pretty little head can wrap itself around that complex math, that leaves me with one room to rent," he explained with a smug chuckle at the end, "Now you want it or not?"

Kate was about to reply with a less then respectful statement, but Jack rose his hand quickly to stop her. Her eyes narrowed as they made contact with his, but he merely shrugged it off, "Yeah, we'll take it," he replied.

"I'm going to go get the stuff from the car," Kate muttered angrily as she snatched the key from the man and left the building. Fresh air never tasted so sweet.

"She's a ball of fire, huh?" The man replied gruffly, as he accepted the money from Jack. He could barely break a smile as a response, "The way I see it, you owe me one," the man stated.

"Excuse me?" Jack asked with a skeptical glance.

"If you two are brother and sister, you won't mind sharing a room, but if you ain't there's always a chance something could happen. Lots of people have gotten together here in the past if you know what I mean," He hinted with another chuckle.

"Yeah, okay," Jack waved him off and headed towards the room. Sleep was drowning his eyes and he could barely walk in a straight line to the room. If he'd been pulled over while driving, he could've easily been mistaken for a drunk.

As he reached to turn the doorknob, he noticed that it had been left ajar. He sighed with irritation. He just wanted to sleep, "Kate?" he questioned as he ran his hand over his eyes.

Sliding the door open he entered the room. It looked like a twister had just flown threw. Cabinets lay overturned, sheets strewn left and right, different stains tainted the faded purple wallpaper, and suddenly his fatigue wore off, "Kate!" he called.

"In the bathroom," she replied faintly from behind one of the two closed doors. The other door he assumed was a closet. He heard a grinding of pipes and realized she was just taking a shower.

He sighed with relief as he took another look around the room, still not knowing why Kate had pillaged it. He began to push aside objects and make his way towards the bed. There was only one bed.

"Hey," Kate greeted him as stepped out of the bathroom, wringing her hair in one of the towels.

"What happened here?" he asked her stretching out his hands to emphasis the mess the room was.

"It was like this when I got in here. Whoever was here before us had one hell of a party. You don't want to know how many things I had to flush down the toilet," she exclaimed not even caring how unsanitary the room was, but just being glad she had somewhere semi-comfortable to sleep.

He stared at her a moment before looking back to the bed, "You can have the bed," she offered, as she threw her towel down, adding to the clutter, "I can sleep in a chair or something."

"No," Jack shook his head, "I'll sleep in a chair or something."

"We can just share the bed," she suggested, "I'm not going under the covers anyways, it's too hot and I don't want to know what's under there."

He let out a short laugh, "You don't mind sharing a bed?" he asked doubtfully.

"It's not like you're some stranger I just met. I've known you longer then I've known anyone," she informed as she sat down on the mattress, "Now do you want left or right?"

"Left," Jack yawned as she slid over to the right side of the bed, "Don't ask it's a long story," he warned as he lay down beside her, his thoughts slowly trickling out of his mind.

"For wanting to sleep so bad, you talk a lot," she offered as she covered up a yawn of her own.

A/N: And there you go, and just in case you're wondering, the man who owns the hotel is named Menchendo, he's from new Zealand, where he used to farm killer pond koi until he got to close to Black Angus and lost his left leg and more importantly his DOCK MARTINS! His diet consists of black coffee, irritability, sarcasm and a pure blind hatred for life. I added this just so all of you think I don't develop non-Lost characters, because I do. (That stranger guy though was just freaky huh? You don't even wanna know the scary shizzat he's done).

I also wanted you to know that the original (Or my dream draft) of this chapter involved Jack leaving Kate in the SUV and coming up to Ontario and Marrying a Ms. Shwa. But Crazyhorsegirl told me to keep it to the sickness basically, so boo.

And thanks for the reviews as usual you guys have never ceased to out-nice me. 


	4. Mutual Denial

**A/N:** Hey, everyone!** CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88** here. Sorry about the wait for this chapter. It just took me a little longer than I thought it would to write it. Also, I haven't been home much lately, so that made it kind of hard. Anyway, I hope you don't mind a fluffy mush fest because that's pretty much all this chapter is...lol. 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it anymore than I did in the last chapter...

A tiny ray of sunlight leaked into the stuffy little hotel room, permeating the musty air. The rest of the window was shabbily guarded by the tattered remains of the old, stained brown curtains, blocking out the light. The hotel room itself seemed to be in a permanent state of disarray, having a grimy interior and cluttered pieces of shabby furniture where needed.

The single bed sat hunched at an uneven angle in the corner, its thrashed headboard backed up against the nearest wall. In the bed, two exhausted figures were clumsily intertwined, their bodies unintentionally wrapped around one another. Though they were unaccustomed to such a position, it did not seem awkward as the two figures continued to sleep on, each snoring ever so lightly. The larger of the two figures, a man in his mid thirties shifted his position around the woman, moving his legs to become more comfortably twisted within his own, untangling the sheets that constricted them.

Feeling suddenly aware of how he lay, Jack Shepard's eyes shot open, taking in his surroundings. He spent mere fractions of a moment to let his eyes adjust and take in the room itself, for his attention was almost immediately diverted to the stifled murmurs of the woman that slept soundly beside him, wrapped in his firm embrace. It was then that he realized just how awkward and even wrong this was, and in that moment he flinched in indecision, trying to decide if it would be best to pull away and risk waking her or stay as he was and allow her some much needed rest.

Glancing down at her still, peaceful form, Jack acknowledged suddenly how this was the first time he had ever seen Kate look this way. She always had a way of seeming so tense and occupied, as if there was never an ounce of peace in her being. And, he mused, it was likely that she was indeed void of any sort of peace. He doubted that the life on the run as a fugitive held any sort of priority to relaxation, or for that matter any sort of mercy to the most basic human needs. No, watching her sleep so soundly and so peacefully, Jack could not bear to tear himself away from her. He could not stand the idea of disturbing the woman who suddenly seemed so small and so vulnerable to him.

As he finally settled this matter with himself, Jack slid back down to lay flat against his single pillow, shifting Kate so that her head lay nestled in the crook of his arm, her breath dancing ever so lightly against his chest. Feeling her rest against him, Jack felt his heart flutter in a way that it had not in well over a year. He hadn't felt that particular emotion since his days spent on that monster infested island. And even then, it hadn't been an emotion that he fully understood. Yes, it was obvious by his every reaction to her very presence that Jack had some sort of feelings for Kate. They were feelings that he couldn't recall having ever felt before, and that was what puzzled him. He was a grown man, a well schooled doctor at that. Something so simple and trivial as some sort of crush ought to be simple to him. He should understand it. After all, he mused, that was all it was. He was simply attracted to Kate. It couldn't be anything more than that, he was sure of it.

But then, there had been his behavior on the island to consider. How he had acted then had been more than simple attraction. He had once secretly tricked her out of a pack full of aged dynamite sticks to carry them in his own pack just for her. Could simple attraction cause him to do something so rash, so possessive? But no, that couldn't be right either. He was a doctor. It was a part of his job to go to great lengths to want to save everyone, to be the hero. His father had told him as much on many occasions, hadn't he? No, the dynamite incident couldn't mean that his feelings ran deeper for Kate. She was just another one of the survivors that he sought to save, another to make him a hero.

Still though, Jack didn't feel as though the issue was resolved. There had been something on the island, something very different than simple attraction. He had admitted it to himself at the time, hadn't he? Particularly on the day of their rescue, when he had shared those last moments with Kate before the marshals escorted her away. He had called it love then, so why was he in such denial now? A year had passed since then. A lot of things can happen in a year. A lot of things_ did_ happen in that year apart. Somehow, against his will, he had allowed himself to move on and accept that despite what they had had on the island, there was no chance that he and Kate could share anything like love back in the real world. But still, somewhere in the back of his mind, deep in his heart, he had hoped. Perhaps that was what drove him now; what allowed him to feel those long forgotten feelings once more.

Jack's inner struggle was interrupted as the woman who lay comfortably sprawled out in his arms shifted. Her lips parted in a brief yawn as her greenish gray orbs fluttered open, taking only a moment to adjust to her surroundings. She reacted to her findings much as Jack had. She saw as much as she felt her intimate position in Jack's arms and immediately she panicked, jerked her body roughly away. This sudden movement roughly jerked him from his thoughts.

"What-," Kate fought for words, her eyes wide at the realization of their close proximity, "We-what do you think you're doing!"

Immediately seeing her discomfort, and was that even fright he saw in her eyes, Jack's mind quickly sprang into action, fighting to somehow rectify the situation. What _had_ he been doing? He had been holding her securely in his arms, their legs intimately intertwined as she rested her face against his chest. He had known how inappropriate their position was, but he had done nothing to stop it and now she knew. "I'm sorry…" he sputtered out quickly, eyes searching the room, falling on the single tattered upholstered armchair that sat beside the bed, at the old oak wood desk, at the battered door, anywhere but at Kate. He knew she would be angry. It would have been better if he had simply moved to begin with. "You were asleep and I-"

She didn't let him finish, letting her cautious mind jump to its own conclusions, "You thought you could take advantage of that?" she breathed, eyes staring him down in accusation, "I never thought you of all people, Jack-"

"Hey, now wait a minute!" Jack said, voice tight at her accusatory tone, "When I woke up, you were just like that! You don't think I would…" He didn't finish the sentence, voice almost pleading. Whether he felt something for her or not, he didn't want her to think he would do anything so forceful to her. He hadn't intended that at all. "Kate, you _know_ me…"

It was beyond Jack why Kate would react this way to something like this. Sure, she had every right to be annoyed with him, he realized that, but annoyance seemed to be the last thing on her mind at the moment. She seemed almost fearful of him, almost as if she hadn't known him for the years that she actually had. It was almost as if all of their time spent together on the island had been suddenly erased from her mind. With a pang of worry for Kate, Jack's mind drifted to the mystery that was her past. Though he had known her for several years and been very close to her, he still knew very little about her. Now that he thought about it, anything could have happened to her way back before he knew her. God only knew what sort of terrible things she had been through. It stung to think about what might have happened to her to make her react like this. In the back of his mind, Jack had a few assumptions of what that might be, but he quickly pushed them away. He didn't want to think about someone ever violating Kate that way. It was sick, it was monstrous, but things like that happened everyday. He shivered at the thought.

She simply stared at him, eyes never moving from where they sat locked with his own. Her heart was pounding wildly within her chest. In truth, she knew she had overreacted to the whole thing. It was just Jack, after all. She knew he would never harm her. He wasn't like those other men she had encountered before. She didn't need to be afraid of him. But time had taught her caution, and most of the time that caution shifted easily to irrational fear, which replaced any normal sense of trust she might have in anyone. "No…" she all but squeaked, her voice tight and quiet with sudden emotion. The fear that had so suddenly flooded her left her just as quickly as it had come, leaving her with nothing but sheer embarrassment. What he must be thinking…, "No, I…I'm sorry, Jack…" she voiced lightly, obviously calming down. As a show of peace, she scooted along the bed, moving close to him once more. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, briefly gripping there, "I overreacted. Reflexes, I guess…"

Kate offered him a small apologetic smile, reassuring him that she was okay and that she hadn't meant to accuse him. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, turning his head to face her before nodding. "It's alright…no harm done," he reassured her awkwardly, hardly daring to look at her anymore. God, what had he been thinking, knowingly embracing her like that while she slept. He knew it wasn't right, yet he still couldn't say he regretted doing it. He only regretted, if anything, how she had reacted to it.

After a moment, Kate drew her arm away, letting go of her light grip on Jack's shoulder. Despite all his wishes to push away any thoughts along these lines, Jack felt a sudden twinge of regret that she was no longer so close to him. He was almost in a dream like state as he gently placed a soothing arm around her shoulders. He wasn't entirely sure what the gesture was for, and if it was even for her, but in that moment, it felt right to Jack. He felt her momentarily flinch at his unexpected touch, but this time she did not draw away, nor did she show any signs of being afraid of him.

Jack didn't know if it was just being around her again or getting the chance to interact with Kate again now that she was awake and was, in a sense, more real to him, but whatever it was, Jack felt his will to deny any feelings for her begin to waver. Before he knew it, thoughts and desires to melt away the barriers that constantly surrounded her suddenly filled his mind. These were the same desires that had plagued him during their time on the island. Jack couldn't even begin to count the amount of arguments that had come from these feelings after he had pushed her just a little too far with his questioning and his need for answers. Despite his strong sense of curiosity and even his need to know about her past, Jack felt that this time, he would do things differently. Some things took time, and he felt that if he played his cards right, in the end, he might finally get the chance to know Kate. To actually know about her, to know her past and to hopefully be a part of her future.

Her future? Where did that come from? Since when did he have such a desire to be such a strong presence in her life? Jack could have sworn that moments ago, when Kate had still been sleeping soundly in his arms, he had made some sort of agreement with himself that he was nothing more than attracted to Kate. People who were simply attracted to someone didn't care so much if they were in that person's future. All of the inner alarms were going off in Jack's mind telling him that he was allowing himself to go in too deep once more, like he had on the island. Deep down, Jack knew that the chances of anything ever being able to work between himself and Kate were slim to none. And since when did he want a chance? When did it become more than simple attraction? _Jack, you're losing it_, he mused to himself, slightly amused at his own lack of abilities to keep his emotions under control.

Jack guessed there was no use in denying it to himself any longer. He _did_ feel something for Kate. A very strong something. Something he didn't even begin to comprehend. It was so much more than what he had felt when he married Sarah. The difference between the two was like night and day, but still, there was that connection. Wait, Sarah? Marriage? How the hell did he even let his mind drift to that? He was thinking about Kate here. Just Kate. Just his feelings for her. The feelings he didn't begin to understand. They had nothing to do with marriage. Marriage meant love, it meant total commitment. It meant certainty. He was anything but sure about how he felt right now, particularly about Kate. All of these thoughts were incredibly confusing and he didn't know what to make of them.

How was Jack supposed to consider any of this and figure out anything when all that he could think of at the moment was how close Kate was sitting to him and how easy it would be to simply turn his head and draw her to him, fiercely kissing her lips…No, no he shouldn't be thinking that. He should resolve his thoughts first. He should understand his feelings.

As if in defiance to his conflicting thoughts, Jack let his hand trail lightly along her shoulders. He felt her shiver in response, her head faced out across the room and fixed on the wall directly in front of them. Beneath his fingertips, Jack could feel that her shoulder blades and upper back were literally in knots, most likely due to stress and tension.

Not daring to voice his intentions, Jack ever so gently brought his other hand up to rest on her other shoulder, his body sliding into a sitting position behind her. He felt her tense as she realized what he was about to do, but before she could voice any protests, his hands began working ever so gently in circular motions around her upper back. As his hands rotated around her back, his figures began firmly gripping the more tense parts, gently kneading the muscle there.

"Jack…" Kate all but squeaked, voice in a tight whisper. She sounded almost hesitant, as if protesting was the very last thing she truly wanted to do.

"Shhh," Jack soothed in response, not at all slowing in his work on the muscles of her back. He knew that she wanted this closeness with him, if only she would stop denying it to herself, "Just relax…"

"But, Jack-" Kate pressed on, only to be immediately cut off by Jack.

"Relax," he insisted firmly, continuing to work the muscles of her upper back. She did not protest again.

Jack didn't know what had possessed him to start doing any of this. It had just felt right at the moment. As awkward as it was, it _still_ felt right. Maybe he really did want this after all. Maybe he could really stop coming up with excuses about his feelings for Kate. Falling in love wasn't such an uncommon thing, right? He guessed he had just always thought that when it hit him, there would be no mistaking it. He had always imagined that it would fall on him like a ton of bricks. Still though, maybe he did love Kate. Or he could potentially love her. He knew in this moment that he wanted to explore his feelings for her. He wanted to know if he was indeed falling in love with her. He wanted to know more than anything what she was thinking throughout all this. With dread though, he didn't want to think of how it all could possibly end.

As if in a trance, Jack lowered his head to the back of Kate's neck, brushing away those unfamiliar red strands of hair, to delicately kiss her there. His lips brushed the bare skin of her neck, eliciting a feeling in him that he could scarcely identify or even hope to understand. It was as if there was a spark igniting within him that was slowly glowing brighter, turning into an ember and then finally into a blazing flame. It was what he had felt all of those times on the island when he had kissed Kate. Like they had a connection as they used such an intimate, tender action.

Almost as he had expected, Jack felt Kate flinch ever so lightly, almost unnoticeably at the brush of his lips. It was as if she was relearning to walk or being reintroduced to something she had once loved. He could almost feel the strange sensations stirring within her. He didn't know how he knew what she felt, but somehow, he did.

Unable to contain these new discoveries and this sudden lapse in his own defenses, Jack found himself trailing feather light kisses along her neck and what skin was visible of her shoulders. As his hands that continued to soothingly massage her upper back and shoulders slowly snaked around her frame, Jack found himself pulling her back into his embrace, hardly daring to believe what he was doing. They had had this sort of affection on the island. The feelings they had had for each other had been passionate then, but caring at the same time. What was happening now seemed like what they had on the island tenfold.

Kate shivered as she felt him begin to pull her into his warm, and as much as she hated to admit it, inviting embrace. Somehow, she had always known that if she and Jack were ever to cross paths again, something like this would happen. They would allow their feelings to take control once more, and maybe for a while, it would be like they were back on the island without a care in the world about how it could affect their lives in the real world. She wanted this, she knew, but at the same time, she knew that it was wrong for her to have it. She didn't deserve it and Jack didn't deserve to be held down by a fugitive. Kate knew that she should stop all of this right now while it was still a possibility to walk away without her heart shattering completely. She could block him out as she had done during their year apart. She could force herself to never think of him again, but to simply concentrate on staying alive as she lived her life on the run. She had earned that. But she didn't want it. Deep down, she wanted nothing but Jack. Deep down, she couldn't think of a better place to be than in this shabby, run down hotel room with this man.

As Kate continued to battle with herself, much as Jack had been doing himself, Kate began to shift in his newfound embrace, turning her body to face his. She felt shivers run up her spine as his hands shifted on her body, wrapping around her neck and shoulders and pulling her close. Her heart fluttered and her emotions reeled as she leaned into him then, knowing that this was what she wanted but what she knew she didn't deserve. It was a terrible feeling, she knew, to want something so bad, but to know also that you shouldn't be allowed to have it.

Before Jack could register what was happening, so relieved he was when he felt her respond positively to him by shifting in his embrace, that Jack found himself suddenly reaching for new goals. He dipped his head forward, bending down until their foreheads brushed lightly together. Without uttering a single word, for none were needed, Jack eased his lips tenderly over Kate's, locking their lips in a gentle kiss.

Kate knew that she had done wrong as she responded to his kiss, kissing him back with a passion to match his own. She knew that by doing this, she was crossing the line that she had set for herself the moment she had spotted Jack in that convenience store in the middle of nowhere. She had stepped passed the point that would allow her to walk away from all of this when they reached Seattle seemingly unharmed. Now, there was no denying that her heart would break when it was time for her and Jack to part ways. She knew she couldn't stay with him. She would ruin his life, just as she had ruined Tom's. She couldn't let herself do that to Jack no matter how much she wanted to be with him and no matter how much he said that he wanted her to stay.

Just as Jack began to entangle one of his hands in her tangle of red hair, running his fingers through it, Kate finally pulled away in protest. As she had just been pressed up against his chest, Jack had felt how fast and rapid her heart had been pounding within her chest. He knew how all of this had affected her. By the way she had responded to him, he knew that she felt it too.

"Jack, no…" Kate protested lightly, breathing hard to regain her breath. It was obvious that her heart wasn't in what she said, "We can't do this…."

"Why, Kate?" Jack pressed, not wanting to just give up. He knew that she was afraid of being close to him for reasons he didn't understand, but he intended to try his best to find those reasons. He couldn't let her walk out of his life again. It was a miracle that she was back in it now as it was. "Why can't we?" His voice held a touch of hurt.

At his insistence, Kate felt herself falter. It was hard enough to pull away from all of this, but to also have to resist him trying to convince her as well? This wasn't going to be easy. She could kick herself for letting things get as far as they did. She could kick herself for not just sleeping on that old armchair beside the bed.

"There are a million reasons, Jack," Kate said sharply, hoping to attract his temper. Maybe if she could just get him angry with her, it would be less of a temptation for her to give in to him, "You know that."

"No, Kate, I don't know that," Jack's voice was tense and shaky. Kate could tell by his tone that she had touched a nerve. She was slowly reaching her goal of spurring his temper.

"Jack, I'm a fugitive. I'm on the run from the law. Everywhere I go, I'm in danger of being caught and hauled off to prison," Kate stated firmly, as if this was an obvious reason. In the back of her mind, she knew that the Jack she knew would never accept such a reason. That had been only part of what had attracted her to him during their time on the island.

"So?" Jack countered, voice almost mocking. Yes, Kate knew that she had done a pretty decent job in eliciting his anger. She could almost feel it begin to radiate off of him. That desperate look of longing was no longer etched onto his face, nor did it illuminate his deep brown eyes. It had been replaced with a steaming rush of anger that she wouldn't give in to him and face her feelings.

"So?" Kate repeated incredulously, hardly believing that he would give such a simple and completely ridiculous answer. Even he had to see what was wrong with that, "So? Jack, you're a doctor! You have a life! You can't afford to get mixed up with someone like me."

"Oh, so now I'm getting 'mixed up' with you? God, Kate, I thought our feelings were more than that," he was fuming, Kate could see. His tone stated that she was stepping on dangerous grounds.

"Well what do you want to call it Jack?" Kate pressed on, feeling anger begin to course through her own veins. Good. This was how she wanted to feel. She didn't want to love him. She didn't want to like him. She didn't even want to be attracted to him, "Fooling around? Doing something we know can't work? Playing with fire?"

"You think all I was doing was fooling around?" Jack asked, his tone suddenly changing. Though the anger and temper were still clearly there, so was something else. Hurt. Kate could feel her heart beginning to break at the seam when she saw that. She wished things didn't have to be this complicated. She wished she could just be with him.

"Weren't you?" Kate pressed, though she could hardly pretend that she meant it. She knew deep down that what he had been doing meant more than that. It wasn't just a game to him anymore than it was to her. He really had feelings on the line just as she did. "You've never said any different, Jack. Not on the island and not now."

"What do you want from me, Kate?" Jack asked, the anger fuming in his voice once more. Still though, it was obvious that she had successfully struck a chord. She had hurt him.

"Honesty," she felt as hypocritical as she knew she must look to Jack as she said that single word. She knew that if he hadn't been angry before, there would be no denying it now. "Admit that all you wanted was a good time." She winced even as she said those words, knowing they weren't true. She knew that she and Jack had something much more than that. The problem was, they couldn't afford to keep it.

"I can't believe this…" he fumed, voice shaking from the anger and hurt he felt. Kate watching him struggle with himself, trying to keep in check. She knew that he was failing miserably. "What do I have to say to make you see that it's more than that for me?"

"Its not, Jack," Kate pushed, feeling her self control begin to slide. She could hardly hold her firm tone with him any longer. It was just like those first few weeks on the island when she had been in denial that she and Jack might have something. She had fought with herself then just as she fought with herself now. Only this time, she could not allow herself to lose that inner struggle. She couldn't let herself love him. "You don't love me and this doesn't mean anything to you. You only think it does."

"Maybe I do," the response was simple and extremely sincere, but completely unexpected on Kate's part. She had expected him to go off on a rage, any remaining hold on his temper shattered by her half-hearted accusations.

"What?" she all but squeaked, completely taken by surprise at his response.

"I said, maybe I do love you, Kate," Jack repeated, now looking her directly in the face. Their eyes met, and for a moment, Kate lost herself in his gaze. She let all of those feelings that she had been trying to stomp down return to her unbidden. But in an instant, that moment was gone and she once again made herself return to reason. She couldn't let this happen for his sake as much as her own.

"What if I said it didn't matter to me, Jack?" Kate pressed coldly, voice as stern as she could possibly make it. Her voice shook violently as she spoke, her eyes unwillingly filling with tears, "What if I said I knew I didn't love you?"

"Then I'd say that you need to stop denying it to yourself, Kate," Once again he had completely surprised her with his response. She had expected a haughty, anger filled remark, but instead, he had replied softly and with care. She didn't know how she was going to be able to continue with this charade, only that she had to. "I care about you, Kate…"

Again, Kate felt herself falter. She couldn't do this. She wasn't strong enough. She had been hurt too many times in life, but this hurt so much more than the rest of it. To be pressing so hard to give up something she wanted more than anything…

Regaining her composure, Kate forced herself away from him. She rose quickly from where she sat so closely to him on the bed, choosing instead to stand beside the nightstand and at a safe distance from him. "It doesn't matter, Jack," Kate stated in what she had intended to be a firm voice, but what came out as nothing more than a pure tone of regret, "Remember, only to Seattle."

A/N: Well, did you like it? I hope so...lol. I'd love to get some feedback from you guys because it really does help. Constructive criticism is welcome! I'd love to know what you think so that I can play that into my next chapter, so don't forget to review!


	5. Policy FreeFantasy Wheels

**A/N:** _Hey guys, **Shiggity** here. It's update time. Me and **Crazy** decided that we would work a song into the story, mainly because it has a lot to do with it. We don't own the song, but we're rebels so we used it anyways. Also this is Menchendo's last appearance in this story, so we bide him a farewell and hope his hatred for life never expires. And once again I'm late updating le brainchild (I'm feeling rather French today) because of the other story, so apologizes my dears._

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own it, nor the song 'Day Tripper' by the Beatles, But I do own Menchendo, and I really wish I didn't.

**Detour**

**Chapter 5 (Already wow)**

**Policy Free- Fantasy Wheels**

Just to Seattle, the words rang in this head like some sort of sick mantra. He couldn't understand why she just wouldn't let him in; he could help her, do whatever he could to help her anyways. But for some reason unknown to him, she always had to keep her real thoughts and feelings bottled inside of her.

He sighed and splashed some water across his face; his eyes still stung with the few hours of sleep he had, almost like it had been a torture. He looked to the towels left on the counter and decided it was better for him to use the sleeve of his shirt that he'd changed out of.

Staring at his wayworn reflection in the mirror, he realized he was procrastinating. The more time he took in the bathroom, the less would be spent in the awkward, incensing silence between himself and Kate. He didn't want to leave her in Seattle, he didn't want to drive there knowing that when she left him, at the base of some skyscraper, that she wouldn't look back with a second glance, like she knew what she was doing, and it was what she wanted.

Maybe she didn't love him? Maybe she didn't want to start anything because in her eyes there was no unused feelings between them. Friendship, comradery, someone to enjoy a cool drink with on a warm night, but nothing else. No future together, not even a present, no second glances, no longing look sent over her shoulder. Just a grateful smile and a handshake if he was lucky.

His own head shook in disagreement as his hand came up to his temple massaging the pain from it. She had to feel something for him, the way she caught his eyes, the looks he gave and received from her. The indecision evident when her lips closed over his, her eyes fluttered closed and her body skimmed against his lightly. He pushed all arrogance aside and the answer was still clear.

Her iron grip on her past was now clenched tighter then it was on the island. She had let him in then, though it really wasn't her choice. The Marshal had warned him about her, not to trust her, and perhaps this was why.

His dad must be having a field day, laughing at him from wherever he was now. He had always warned him to stay with Sarah. She's good for you Jack, he could still hear his father's voice pressuring in his ear, that part of a relationship was forgiveness, he promised to stay with her until death do them part, and he did. She was the one to file the divorce papers.

The logical part of him thought about what would happen if Kate hadn't broken the kiss, what could've developed in his moment of passion. He'd never been that straightforward before, and now he remembered why, because he ended up looking foolish. He could try to convince her not to go to Seattle. But then what?

He imagined bringing her home to his mother, who would look at him shamefully, pull him aside and tell him that he wasn't stuck on a island anymore, there were more then twenty girls to chose from and he should send Kate packing because she didn't like nor understand every quirky thing Kate had going for her. All the things he loved about her, the way her nose slightly wrinkled when she was deep in thought, the way she rolled her eyes at his dim attempts to be funny, and the way her face grew red in color when she grew peeved at the hotel manager.

Turning away sadly from the mirror, he collected his clothing and threw them in a separate compartment in his suitcase, which was beginning to become cluttered. They'd need to stop for food soon enough, perhaps in a small mall so laundry could be done, though he didn't know how much Kate could carry in the miniscule bag she'd brought.

The loose doorknob of the bathroom door shook as the hinges creeked loudly, the paint and finish looked as though it had be beaten off. He was suddenly glad that the walls couldn't talk, or scream for that matter. The thought of the broken down room, the light purple paint peeling in the afternoon sunlight, the gaudy, plaid arm chair that badly needed to be reupholstered, or the dank smell that never seemed to leave didn't bug him as much as the fact that Kate seemed at home in the environment, when she deserved so much better.

He opened the door, expecting her to be sitting on the bed, in silence as her mind sorted through different events, staring at the wall like she had the ocean on the island, but to his surprise she was no where in sight.

His eyes scanned the room more carefully, why would she leave? He could handle her not loving him, not liking him, or not admitting to either. But the thought of her hitchhiking with some dangerous, homicidal stranger just because of an argument with him began to frighten him.

Red. She hated the color, and had hoped it never escalated that far. But it had, a long time ago probably. It was either red, or switch continents. Europe had been fun for awhile, but Italy, France and Greece grow old quickly when you don't speak the language and you don't have anyone to share the romantic atmosphere with.

England was useless, everything was too expensive and her money proved to be useless. Refusing to go to Ireland, not the best ambiance, Australia was her last choice before hitting the small islands where she had a better chance of being captured.

And now, now she was back to step one. A red step one, she now held a big red scarlet 'a' stained onto her locks. She was only going to stay in America long enough to earn enough money to fly to one of the tropical islands. Bali, Tahiti, Fiji, one of them where they've never heard of all the crimes and sins she's committed. Being in that kind of environment might change her, it had with the island.

She pulled a piece of her twisted hair around before her eyes and watched the crimson glow in the sunlight. Her eyebrows fell as she watched it, she liked her natural hair, and her mom had told her that brunettes had the best hair color, no stupid jokes or stereotypes to go along with it. It was probably the last thing her mom had left to like about her, and now that was gone too, dyed to many times to return.

Jack had liked it; she grinned inwardly while still flipping the piece of her hair between her fingers indolently. She had been complaining about it sometime back, the rat's nest of tangles it had become. Too hard and dangerous to comb through, but she wouldn't give up.

She sat away from everyone for most of the day, mumbling low curses as she frantically and angrily ripped a brush she found through it. He came looking for her eventually, always concerned for her safety, not knowing how she could care for herself in the real world, but as long as she remained on that island, she was under his supervision.

He chuckled wholeheartedly when he found the position she was in, stating that the last thing he thought she would be doing would be worrying over her hair. After a few moments he laughed and added that it was getting out of control.

Before she had a chance to pummel him with the brush and pent up rage half an hour of knot brushing will build up, he added that it suited her. The curls were wild and untamed and the color was mysterious.

That was the first time they'd ever kissed, out in a secluded part of the beach, so far away from the others that the fires strewn along the beach looked like fireflies. He'd stayed with her until the last clinging knot was torn from her hair, stating it wasn't safe for her to be this far from camp after dark.

They both knew it was for the company and Kate couldn't let sleeping dogs lie. She never did take it lightly when people lied to her, feeling how it was to be on the receiving end made her feel incredibly guilty for the fleet of lies she'd woven in the years that had passed. She playfully pressured him to admit the real reason he was always stalking her, following her out into the jungle like a second shadow, like she had about him checking out, which she had yet to get him to confess to. Until he grabbed her by the forearms and swiftly whipped her around, so her eyes, reflecting the moon that hung so close, were staring directly into his.

Without thinking, she met him halfway in the expected kiss. It was light, gentle, soothing even, but it felt empty. No hefty amounts of passion, love, not even lust. "Kate!" A relieved voice called from behind her. She turned, her blood red hair swayed in the sticky afternoon wind. Jack stood in the doorway of their shared room for the past six hours, his face passed a quick, happy look of relief before turning back indifferent and cold, "I thought you'd left."

"I promised you to Seattle," she stated coldly as she rose from the edge of the wooden porch she sat on, dusting off the faded blue jeans she still had.

He turned silently and walked to the main office, his feet slamming on the boards, making them creek and spew out years of dust. He swung the door open, barely holding it for Kate and traveled quickly into the smoky atmosphere.

The man turned around from behind his desk, where a little black and white television stood. The smoke was so condensed in the room that the light illuminating from the small television set was seen filtering through the clouds.

"You kids have fun?" The man asked with a wide, smile planted on his face. Taking the stubby stogie of his cigar, he mashed it out against the desk, and threw it over his back to the filthy, rubbish covered ground behind him.

"Yes," Kate replied sarcastically, "Loads and loads. We never wanted to leave," she informed, trying to keep her eyes from watering, the stinging smell of the cigars getting to her.

Jack sent her a glare, telling her she was being childish, then turned and handed the key to the man. Kate used her build up of willpower to not stick her tongue out at Jack while his back was turned.

"You've got quite the mouth on you, you know that girly?" he questioned as he leaned over and pulled out another cigar from the desk drawer.

"And you've got quite and addiction, you know that?" Kate queried bitterly as she raised an eyebrow, daring him to challenge her further.

"You've got your hands full," The man told Jack as he ushered her to the door.

"Don't I know it," Jack mumbled as he pushed her along, until they had reached outside.

"What was all that about?" she huffed angrily as they started walking to Jack's SUV. It was still gleaming in the unkind sunlight, not a speck of dirt or scratch across the paint, even after all the fiascos.

"Me? You were the one who blew up at the guy," Jack explained as he pressed the button on his key chain and the doors unbolted, "He was just making an observation."

Kate sighed and pulled the seatbelt across her lap once again, "I just don't like when guys talk to me like that," she muttered quietly as Jack started the engine.

"Talk to you like what?" Jack questioned as the vehicle hit the road again.

"Like they know what kind of girl I am," she shook her head, "I'm not talking about this anymore." Reaching over she turned on the radio and let song fill the car instead of her emptying her guts to Jack, whom she was still mad at.

After a few moments of commercials, and the drone of the wheels spinning on the road, he chanced a glance at her, only to find she was looking at him. His cheeks began to heat up as he became embarrassed, but Kate merely gave him a comforting smile.

_Got a good reason for taking the easy way out  
Got a good reason for taking the easy way out now_

"Argh," Kate moaned as the radio spoke up over both of them, "I hate this song," she disclosed with a disgusted look on her face.

"I love it," Jack commented, "The beat, the music, the words, they flow together," he smiled.

"I'm changing it," She declared as she reached forward, intent on turning the radio station.

_She was a day tripper, one way ticket yeah  
It took me so long to find out, and I found out_

"No," Jack argued as he reached out and batted her hand away. She grinned at him, and dived for the radio once again. With one hand on the wheel and one hand furiously battling hers for the control of the radio, ultimately winning.

"When you drive, you can pick the station," he disclosed as she sat back in her chair, arms crossed, mouth pouting.

_She's a big teaser, she took me half the way there  
She's a big teaser, she took me half the way there now_

"It's just a stupid song," she mumbled in defeat a she looked away from Jack and out the window. Watching the scenery flash by as the speedometer slowly crept higher and higher.

_She was a day tripper, one way ticket yeah  
It took me so long to find out, and I found out_

Glancing at her a final time, their eyes met, and they both couldn't help but break out into a fit of laughter and giggles, "That had to be the most childish thing I've ever done," Jack sighed after the laughed had died down.

"What about the time you asked Sawyer if he'd been with a prostitute?" She reminded with a reserved smile gracing her lips.

_Tried to please her, she only played one night stands  
Tried to please her, she only played one night stands now_

"Okay so one of the most childish things I've ever done," he corrected with a smile.

As the song came to an end, an uncomfortable silence once again enveloped them. Both thinking about what if felt like to wake up in the other's embrace, knowing that it wouldn't work out.

"Kate," He began, feeling the need to apologize as he always did. His dad had taught him a long time a go that most things that happen are often his fault.

"It's okay Jack," she disclosed, slipping her hand into his that lay idle, "It's fine."

A grin crossed over his face as he grasp her cool, delicate hand in his as the car sped towards Seattle in the late afternoon sun.

**A/N:** _I hoped y'all liked it, and that it wasn't too fluffy at the end, because for me it was too fluffy. Everything is too fluffy for me._


	6. Just One

**A/N:** Hey everyone! **CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88** here! Yes, I know, I've taken forever and a day to get this post up, but really, this is the first chance I've had to do it. I'm not gonna bother with excuses or anything, but I haven't had time to breathe lately, let alone write the new chapter for _Detour. _Anyway, its here now and I hope you enjoy it! Oh, and by the way, this chapter picks up directly after where **Shiggity's** last chapter left off. So there's no time in between or anything…. 

**Disclaimer:** This is a waste of time. You all know I don't own it, and I don't claim to. Lets get on to the good stuff, shall we…..

**Detour: Chapter 6**

**Just One**

The sun was just beginning to set over the vast, flat horizon when Jack turned the white SUV into the parking lot of the roadside diner and rest stop. The sky was mottled with purples, blues and pinks as the orange tinged glow of the sun faded into the distance. If not for the obvious tension that sparked the air, this would be a marvelous sight for the two passengers of the SUV to behold, but in this moment a nuclear bomb could have taken out the nearby diner and it was likely neither Jack nor Kate would have even noticed.

Though they both had managed to come to some sort of silent truce since leaving both Menchendo and the hotel behind, neither could quite escape the awkwardness that laced the air around them. Secretly, both wanted all of the tension to go away so that they could enjoy the rest of their time together, but neither of them wanted to be the one to break the ice.

As Jack pulled the SUV in between the faded white parking lines in the lot in front of the diner, Kate stared distantly out the car window. The old diner they had found was made up of one mid sized building. It was painted a pale, faded green and the paint was peeling in the more weathered placed. Along the front wall, facing the road and oncoming traffic, were three long windows that gave a view of the entire interior of the diner. The wood shingled roof was in obvious bad shape, as most of the shingles were either cracked in several places or split entirely.

To the right of the old diner stood a tall, aluminum sign painted in the same color and fashion as the old building itself. Neon lettering lit up the sign, illuminating the words Rag Top Diner for passing cars to see. Kate and Jack approached the main entrance, Jack quietly stepping forward to open the swinging glass door and holding it open for Kate to step inside.

Following Kate silently through the door, they both stopped near the front counter, waiting to be seated. The diner itself was one large room filled with small booths that lined the walls and a long strip of counter that served as the bar. Each individual booth was made up of a small linoleum table with the same pattern as the bar and a pair of faded green plastic covered couch type seats. Above each booth hung a multi-colored stained glass light fixture that looked to be from the sixties.

"Take a seat wherever you like!" came a deep, throaty voice from the other side of the counter. Both Kate and Jack looked up in time to match the voice with a tall, slender waitress as she moved quickly across the room with a coffee pitcher in one hand, and a steaming plate in the other. The woman was dressed in a pale purple blouse with a stained off-white skirt that came down past her knees. She had a frilled and stained white apron tied loosely around her waste and her white streaked gray hair pulled back and pinned into a tight bun.

Jack turned to face Kate and she nodded, indicating with a twist of her body to a nearby booth. Both took a seat on either side of the table and gazed awkwardly down at either their hands, or the mottled white linoleum pattern of the table. The awkward silence ensued until finally, the waitress that they had seen before came to their table with two menus in hand.

She placed a laminated menu in front of each of them, then voicing, "Coffee?"

"Ummm, yeah," Jack mumbled, caught off guard by the question. His mind had drifted off into too many distant places at once, distracted by the awkward silence between himself and Kate that he so desperately wished would disappear, "Thanks…"

"And for you, miss?" the waitress continued, eyes now on Kate as she expertly lifted Jack's chipped white coffee mug and filled it to the brim with the steaming liquid from her pitcher.

"I'll have some too, thanks," Kate said politely, voice solemn. She couldn't begin to express how much she wished she hadn't gotten herself into this situation with Jack. What had she been thinking, letting him give her a ride? She should have known that it could never be so simple as him giving her a ride to Seattle. Not with such a stubborn man as Jack. And then there was her own self control. If she couldn't manage to keep herself in check, how could she expect any better from Jack? This whole thing was becoming a mess for her, and she had little doubt that she deserved it. She had, after all, accepted Jack's help back at the filling station.

Both Kate and Jack were pleased and relieved to find that the next ten minutes or so would not be held in another awkward silence, but was instead occupied by reading their menus and deciding what to order. Kate could not remember the last time she had been able to go into a restaurant, any restaurant, even one as run down as this one, and be able to order whatever she wanted. Life on the run really didn't accommodate even the most basic human needs, let alone something so trivial as the privilege of eating out.

Before either of them knew it, the waitress had returned, this time with a pad of paper and a worn down pencil, ready to take their orders. During the time they both had had to read their menus, it seemed neither Jack nor Kate's mind had really been on the food. Both were too lost in thoughts of their circumstances and even where they stood in the other's eyes since the incident at the hotel.

The waitress inhaled deeply, a rushed look of determination on her face as she turned to Jack first, "What'll you be having?" the waitress all but crowed, voice deep and husky. Her very presence seemed to put the doctor on edge and Kate could not help but laugh inwardly at watching him squirm. It seemed that just about everything on this little road trip of theirs was completely foreign to Jack. Men…Kate thought to herself.

"I-ummm," Jack quickly fumbled, entirely unprepared for this demand, "I'll just have a cheeseburger." Jack supplied quickly, covering for himself.

"And for you?" the waitress wasted no time in turning to Kate for her order.

Like Jack, Kate also had not paid her menu much attention, so she just decided to follow his lead, "I'll have the same."

Without another word, the waitress hastily scribbled down the orders, mumbling to herself as she rushed away to turn in the order and wait on other customers. Once again, Jack and Kate found themselves in a formidable silence, both wishing the food would hurry along so that they would have an excuse to ignore each other.

As the silence hovered over them, Jack let out a tremendous sigh of both exhaustion from the long driving and also frustration from the situation itself. Kate looked at him expectantly, as if she thought he meant to say something. Coming up short, Jack simply voiced the first thing that came to mind. Work. "I don't know if its going to be a relief or a letdown, getting back to work next week," Jack said lamely, not really knowing how Kate might respond to that.

"When do you have to be back in LA?" Kate asked, hardly able to mask her discomfort at the mention of their parting.

"Next Monday, so in about eight days," Jack said, he too having mixed feelings about this topic of conversation. Did he really want to admit, even to himself, that part of him dreaded it?

"Oh.." Kate said, forcing all thoughts of parting ways with Jack out of her mind. It had to be done, and the way things were headed, the sooner the better. The sooner they reached Seattle and said their goodbyes, the less the both of them would get hurt. "I still don't know why you were coming this way in the first place."

"Vacation," Jack answered, taking a sip from his coffee. He felt the uncomfortable sense of awkwardness slowly begin to melt away as the hot liquid slid casually down his throat, "My boss thinks I'm a workaholic. He sent me on a forced two week vacation."

Kate could not help but laugh at this newly discovered information. It sounded just like the Jack that she knew. On the island, being the doctor and the hero had been all that he seemed to be able to focus on. His complete dedication to his "job" on the island had perhaps been what had continuously caused a rift between them. But, Kate admitted inwardly, she couldn't fault Jack for his dedication and work ethic. She respected and admired him for it.

"So what made you come up this way? When we met at the gas station, you really didn't seem to be going anyplace in particular…" Kate prompted, still mildly amused by Jack's previous admission.

"Honestly?" Now Jack too shared in Kate's amusement, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, "I had no idea where I was going."

"Then I guess it was just random fate that we met at that gas station," Kate mused, hardly able to stifle a laugh at the look on Jack's face. She knew exactly what he thought about fate and what kind of reaction she would get from him at mentioning it.

"Now you sound like Locke," Jack replied, once he had gotten over the shock of her comment. It hadn't been the shock that she would use a word that she knew he disagreed with, but rather that she would consider it a good sort of fate that they had met up once again. Could she actually be grateful that they had found each other? If she was, then she had a funny way of showing it, he thought to himself. 'Only to Seattle,' she had said more times than he cared to remember. It had become a taunting sort of mantra in Jack's mind this past week. Not knowing how else to continue this sudden pleasant stream of conversation, Jack countered Kate with a question of his own, "Do you believe in fate?"

"No, I can't say that I do," Kate replied, her features twisting into that distant, thoughtful look that Jack had come to know so well during their days spent on the island, "But I'm not one to knock it either. What about you?"

Jack's eyes traveled up for brief moments to the ceiling, a quick time of thought, before meeting her eyes once more and replying, "No," Jack said, carefully choosing his words and treating the conversation itself as though it might break at any moment, "No, I don't. I can't let myself believe in something that takes away any chance any of us has at making our own future. If fate is real, then that would mean we're all doomed to whatever its chosen for us from the day we're born to the day it chooses to let us die."

"And what's so wrong with that?" Kate questioned, never having spent this much time with Jack analyzing his thoughts. Usually when they talked like this he would dance around the subject, never giving her a clear answer. Either that, or he would twist the question around to be pointed at her. This was a rare treat for Kate.

"I don't know about you Kate, but I'd like to think that everything I do and the choices I make are what builds my future, not something that was predetermined before I was even born," Jack stated simply, taking a long sip from his coffee, "What is it that makes you so open about the subject anyway? You're usually too headstrong to not be absolute on anything."

"_I'm_ headstrong?" Kate said with amusement, a grin tugging at her lips as she forced her expression into a mock pout, "If I remember correctly you were the one that was so bent on risking your life that you hid dynamite in your pack so I wouldn't have to carry it."

Kate fixed him with an accusatory glare, her lips twisted into a mocking smile that Jack had grown to love. "Well, I wouldn't have had to do that if you hadn't insisted on carrying the dynamite yourself in the first place," Jack said casually, all the while smiling with a knowing look. He knew how stubborn he could be, "Besides, I'm the hero. I couldn't let you steal my thunder."

Kate's lips parted in an amused surprise as she took in his words. She could not help but laugh at his admission as she rolled her eyes. Both of them were caught in a fit of laughter before they even knew what was happening. All traces of awkwardness or lack of belonging had disappeared without a trace. Finally, since the incident at the hotel, the two were at a peaceful truce. They actually enjoyed one another's company.

The two continued to talk in a cheerful bliss until the waitress returned with their food. She placed the bill at the end of the table and refilled their drinks before once again disappearing to wait on the rest of the tables in the little diner.

Jack and Kate finished their food in a peaceful silence, both happy with this strange turn of events. All thoughts of having to part once they reached Seattle had fled for this brief time from both of their minds. Without realizing it, Kate had stopped worrying about how badly she would be hurt if she allowed herself to let Jack in as she had on the island. Jack too had allowed his confusion about the entire situation to slip his mind in exchange for this newfound peace they had with one another. It didn't matter that he still had no idea what had happened to her and where she had been for this past year. She was with him now and they had the chance to enjoy this time together, however short it might be and they should do just that.

After paying the bill and asking for directions to the nearest hotel, Kate and Jack made their way out of the little diner and back to Jack's SUV. As they stepped out of the diner and into the run down parking lot, Kate shivered ever so slightly at the feel of the chill night air against the bare skin of her shoulders and arms. She wore only her thin tank top and jeans. Noticing this, Jack stopped and pulled off the navy blue fleece pullover sweatshirt he had been wearing and draped it around her shoulders.

"Thanks," Kate said quietly, almost shyly. By now, both of them had stopped walking and they now stood facing each other in the middle of the run down parking lot. Jack's hands still lingered on her shoulders where he had secured the sweatshirt around her. Without even noticing what he was doing, he began to lightly trace circles on her shoulders with his thumbs. He looked down at her and when their eyes met, she quickly let her own green orbs shift away shyly, knowing where things were once again leading.

Leaning up quickly, Kate gave Jack a hasty kiss on the cheek before turning away from him towards where they had parked the SUV. "Its getting late, we should find that hotel," she said simply, not knowing what else she could say to escape from this situation. After their conversation in the diner however, she wanted to let herself go with Jack more than ever. Kate began to doubt her choice to not let herself get close to him, wondering what good it could bring her.

"Alright," Jack said, disappointed that she had pulled away so quickly, yet at the same time thrilled that she had shown him any sort of affection at all. He had been afraid that since the incident at the hotel, she would never let him touch her again. He was even more surprised when he felt her chill fingers reach for his hand, lacing his calloused fingers with her own. Without another word, they walked the rest of the way to the parked SUV hand in hand.

The conversation that had taken place in the diner did not continue in the drive to the hotel. It was not far to drive and both Kate and Jack seemed lost in their own thoughts about what had just been shared between them that talking really wasn't on either of their minds.

Jack pulled up in front of the hotel office, putting the SUV in park, "If you want, you can just wait here while I take care of the rooms," Jack offered not failing to notice Kate's sudden silence and trying to determine if it was just due to her being tired.

"That's alright," Kate said quickly, unbuckling her seatbelt and hopping out her side of the SUV, "I'll go with you." The truth was, Kate didn't like the idea of being left alone in the car this late at night. I'm losing it, Kate thought briefly to herself as she followed Jack into the hotel office.

This hotel was definitely a step up from the last one they had staid in, Kate noticed as they made their way to the office. It was a cement type building with two levels rather than one, and iron railing wrapped around the second level. The building itself was painted with a none too old coat of beige and the roof was neatly tiled. The office was a smaller cement structure that stood a small distance away from the hotel building itself. It was made with a similar design, only it looked as if it had been more recently remodeled. The best thing about this hotel that differed from their last one though, Kate thought to herself, was the absence of that grubby old hotel clerk, Menchendo.

When they reached the office, Jack held the swinging glass door open for Kate as the little bell attached to the door jangled loudly, alerting the clerk that there were customers. Immediately, a short little man stumbled swiftly in from behind an old beige curtain that led to some sort of back room. He was an older man with only a few tiny wisps of white hear atop his head and a buzzed white stumble on his face. He was dressed simply in a red plaid flannel shirt that was tucked hastily into his faded blue jeans and small, round rimmed glasses sat atop his nose.

"Can I help you folks?" he said quickly, his voice rumbled with age. He seemed to study Kate and Jack as they stood before him, as if sizing them up.

"Yes, we'd like two rooms please," Jack said quickly as they approached the counter.

Just as he reached back into his jeans pocket for his wallet, Kate interrupted him, "Actually, one room will be fine," she blurted out quickly, amazed that she had gathered up the nerve to be so bold. She had made some decisions during the short car ride from the diner. She was with Jack now, for however brief a time, and she was going to let herself enjoy that time and be free, no matter how much it would tear her up to let go of it all in the end.

Jack turned quickly to Kate, almost dropping his wallet in the process. The look on his face was priceless, Kate thought to herself. His eyes were wide with surprise, wondering what could have brought this sudden change over her. Kate smiled inwardly when she watched a look of satisfaction wash over Jack, knowing that what he had wanted all along was for her to let herself go.

The clerk's face twisted into a confused frown as he unconsciously reached up to scratch the top of his head. "What'll it be, then?" he pressed, unable to hide his amusement with the situation, "One room or two?"

Jack turned to Kate, almost expectantly, as if wondering if he had only imagined her outburst of moments before, hardly daring to hope that she was agreeing to stay with him. As if knowing what he was asking, Kate simply nodded as Jack turned back to the clerk, "One, please," he said quickly, drawing the correct amount of money out of his wallet and placing it onto the counter.

The clerk took the money from Jack and wobbled back into the back room from which he had come, disappearing behind the faded beige curtain. The man chuckled lightly as he went, shaking his head in amusement. After a few moments, Jack and Kate could hear him shuffling around and he returned from behind the curtain with a key in hand and a hand written receipt.

"Here you are then," the man said, reaching over the counter to hand Jack the key to their room, eyes twinkling. "That's just around the corner at the main building, ground level. First room you see on the right, number 603. If you need anything, just give me a ring. You folks have a nice stay, now."

"We will, thank you," Jack replied, taking the key and turning to head out the door. Kate followed quickly behind him, inwardly bubbling with excitement that she was no longer going to worry about reaching Seattle.

After unloading Kate's backpack and Jacks single duffle bag, the two made their way to their room. They found it easily, following the instructions that the man had given them.

Standing outside the door, Jack reaching into his jeans pocket and produced the key and began fumbling with the lock. With a click from the lock, the door swung open, "Kate, are you sure you're alright with this?" Jack said uneasily, not wanting another incident similar to what happened at the last hotel to occur.

Looking up to him, Kate felt her heart began to beat faster, now pounding in her ears. She loved that Jack was so careful about her. It made it so much easier for her to step around the walls that she had built around herself over the years. As if in slow motion, Kate let her backpack slip from her shoulders and fall to the ground. She stepped closer to Jack, slowly closing the distance between them. Hardly knowing what she was doing, Kate lifted her arms, wrapping them tenderly around his neck. She felt her insides flutter with relief when he pulled her into his embrace, holding her firmly in his arms. He pulled her to his chest, one hand pressed firmly to her back while the other gingerly traveled through her hair.

For a long moment, they both just stood safely in each others arms, neither really understanding this sudden feeling of helplessness that had passed over them. Kate hung limply within the circle of his arms, feeling utterly unable to control anything that was happening in her life and for once, seeking shelter in another person.

"We should go inside," Jack whispered ever so lightly in Kate's ear, his breath tickling the skin of her neck. Taking a deep breath, Kate lifted her head from Jack's chest, gently disentangling herself from him. Reaching down beside her, she lifted her backpack up from the ground as he once again threw his duffle bag over his shoulder. Looking her way, Jack's lips twisted into a small grin of reassurance, telling her it was going to be okay. They would worry about Seattle when they got there.

Reaching for her hand, Jack gently laced his fingers in between his own, lightly squeezing her hand. He then led the way into the room, flicking on the light switch with his free hand. Jack and Kate disappeared into the room, setting their stuff down and inspecting the place half heartedly, for their minds were elsewhere. As Jack reached for the door knob to close the door, he used his free hand to once again pull Kate into his arms, this time bringing his face down to lock his lips with her own in a passionate kiss.

**A/N:** Ha! Now all of you have to wait for **Shiggity's** chapter to read the "good stuff". I hope you guys liked it anyway. I promise, you'll get your fluff. Just bother** Shiggity** about it, not me. She's the one who volunteered to do the next fluff chapter so its out of my hands. Although I will be writing some fluff of my own in a few chapters, so look forward to that. Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!


	7. Not Quite

**A/N:** Hey everyone! This is **CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88** and yes, I know, its not my turn to do a chapter for this story. This chapter is really written by **Shiggity**, but she didn't leave me an author's note to post with it, so I'm just filling it in. I'm really sorry about how long its taken us to get this chapter up, but you can blame that on me. **Shiggity** gave me this chapter about 2 weeks ago, but I haven't been able to post it because wouldn't let me upload it. Anyway, sorry about that. Oh and I know this chapter is pretty short, but poor **Shiggity** is enslaved by a job with long hours, so please forgive her. Anyway, I hope you guys like it! 

A smile grew on her lips as her eyes fell closed. All five of her senses were being overused at the moment and she found it easier just to focus on one. She could feel his fingertips as they crept carefully up her back igniting the soft, untouched skin as he moved closer to her.

The small amount of stubble that had grown on his chin the last few days felt comfortingly familiar as it scratched against her face when the kiss deepened. His lips left her mouth and trailed phantom kisses along her cheek, the stubble still itching, but it sent an emotion almost like relief shuddering through her.

His hand tangled in her hair, he'd always loved her hair. It was always soft, even on the island it was soft, like it was woven from silk. The color of it triggered his mind, telling him it was wrong, but he knew it wasn't. This was Kate, even if it wasn't as he had remembered her from the year before, and he was content for the moment, just knowing it was her he held.

Her hands slide from around his neck, slithering over his tense shoulders and the broad muscles of his chest, finally stopping when they came to the buckle on his belt, and teasingly began playing with the clasp.

He chuckled at her mischievousness, but it was smothered by her mouth. While her hands worked steadily to undo the buckle, his hand managed to pull the thin tank top from her body and discard it quickly.

The belt slide out of the final loops and was discarded onto the ground mindlessly as they almost danced across the floor. Jack's top soon joined the growing pile of clothes as he quickly abandoned it before she could use it to tease him further. A small disappointed smile broke across her face but disappeared once he embraced her again.

His hands crept across her back, floating over her soft skin and up to her hair once again. His mouth tasted her lips, her cheek, her shoulder, her chest; he couldn't get enough. They were perfect for each other, and they both finally realized it.

Her hands skimmed over the defined muscles of his chest, as he casually slipped one of his hands down into the side of her pants, between the strap of her underwear and her skin. She shuddered at the unexpected contact, but didn't pull away as he thought she might, instead she ventured closer to him, her chest pressing against his.

Her chin rested against the tight muscle of his shoulder, "Why didn't we ever do this before?" she whispered, her quiet, steamy voice tickling his ear.

"Because," he answered slowly, as his hands guided her worn blue jeans down her legs to the floor in a faded and frayed puddle. "On the island, the most important thing was survival," he informed, a sudden serious tone overtaking his emotions as he stared into her eyes, "But now you're the most important thing."

At the end of his sentence, his lips crashed down on hers, as a sign, to let her know what she meant to him and what he wanted to do. Her arms wrapped around his neck once again for support, as on of her legs entwined with his.

In a whirlwind, she fell back upon the bed, his fingers sliding over her, as his lips pressed against the skin on her stomach, sucking lightly. She pulled him away, gently guiding him back up to her lips. Her body leaned back as his began to cover hers, as his hands mindlessly began to play with the clasp of her bra.

Then, as quickly as it happened, it dissipated. He abruptly pulled away from her, kneeling with a knee beside either of her thighs, the heat of his body no longer warming hers. "What's wrong?" she questioned the disappointment evident in her voice as her arms struggle to push her into a sitting position.

"I don't have any," he stated bluntly as he but his lips and pressed the pockets of his blue jeans.

"You don't have any what?" She questioned as he helped her sit upright, perplexity covering her face.

His cheeks began to blush as he looked away momentarily, "I don't have any protection," he declared obviously embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his head.

Slowly a smile began to spread across her face, "You've got to be kidding me," she laughed genuinely. He looked at her and shook his head in disagreement, and began to chuckle. "You're a single, well paid spinal surgeon and you don't carry a condom in your wallet?" she asked.

"Nope," he disclosed now grinning innocently, "I don't suppose you're on the pill?" he questioned playfully.

"Oh yeah, because you know having a good pharmacist and family physician is so blatantly easy when you're on a constant run from the government," She replied sarcastically as she leaned in and kissed him once again, "We're just going to have to wait until tomorrow…."

**A/N:** Ok, I know what you guys were hoping for, and I'm sorry we didn't get to it in this chapter. I guess that means I might be covering it in my next chapter, but that all depends on how much you guys beg…Lol. Just kidding. I really haven't decided what I'm doing next chapter because this chapter threw me off slightly, but don't worry, you'll get your fluff….Anyway, don't forget to review! **Shiggity** will love the feedback…And be sure to thank her for making herself sick writing fluff…she hates it…


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